


River Born: The Feud

by Queen_of_Ice_and_Hallows



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 186,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27350893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_of_Ice_and_Hallows/pseuds/Queen_of_Ice_and_Hallows
Summary: When Anna North is forced to move to a small, frozen island in Alaska, she expects the highlight of her last two years of high school to be boredom, but not everything in Arendelle is as it seems after she meets Elsa Aren. Nature has so much more in store for our heroines. Can 'Nature's Will' win out? And what will it teach Anna about herself?
Relationships: Anna/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 58





	1. The New Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

**06 October 2019**

The heat never really bothered her. She relished in it really; preferring tropical climates and lands covered in white sand and warm sun. Yet here she was, shivering outside of some tiny airport, in a tiny town called Dutch Harbor somewhere along the Aleutian Islands, waiting with her mother for the taxi to arrive and take them to the docks where they'll board a ferry that will take them to their new home - Arendelle.

" _Where the hell is Arendelle?"_

" _Language," her mother said. "It's in Alaska."_

" _ALASKA!"_

" _That's what I said. A small island town off the coast of Hooper Bay."_

" _What am I supposed to do in ALASKA! Fish the Bering Sea?" she had shouted back, voice becoming rather shrill, but her mother remained calm._

" _If you want," Iduna said._

" _MOM!"_

To call Anna disappointed with her new living situation would be an understatement, a complete disservice to her emotional state. They'd lived in Monterey for almost three years now, and Anna had put down roots. She'd made friends and joined clubs. All her favorite restaurants and hang-outs were in Monterey, and now she suddenly had to start all over… again. _IN ALASKA._ She sulked about it for a while, but there wasn't much she could do. Her mother was excited for this new opportunity in her career. Iduna had been chosen to head a new research facility that the Marine Life Institute was establishing to study, rehabilitate, and release arctic sea creatures. It was a good thing for her mom, and so Anna swallowed her teenage angst and put on a smile.

However, right now, she'd wished she fought this move harder. She could hardly feel her fingers and toes, and the cold air was making her nose sting. She looked over at her mother, standing regally on the curb, as if the cold were nothing more than a mere inconvenience. Which, for her, it might just be. Her mother had grown up in Alaska and knew what to expect. The coldest place Anna had ever lived was San Francisco.

"How are you, little duck?"

"Cold."

"You'll get used to it," her mother said.

Anna doubted that very much.

The taxi finally arrived, but Anna's relief from the cold was short lived. The ride to the ferry dock was barely ten minutes. Her fingers and toes had only just begun to feel sensation again when she was forced back out into the cold. The cabin on the ferry did little to protect her from the frigid weather either. The windows were single paned and didn't fully shut so, periodically, wind would blow through the small openings and send a fresh wave of chills over her.

After what felt like days, though her mother insisted it was only a two hour voyage, and one final taxi ride from Arendelle harbor, they finally arrived at their new home. It was a quaint little, one story home, painted a pale yellow color with white trim and a bright red door. A sensible, black Subaru Impreza supplied to her mother by her work was sitting in the driveway. When her mother unlocked the door, Anna saw that all their belongings, aside from the carry-on luggage they were dragging in behind them, had arrived before them.

Anna took in the home while her mother made her way over to the thermostat and turned the heater on. They were standing in the entryway that was continuous with the living room area to her left. On her right, she could see a room that already had boxes labeled 'office' stacked within. Through the open frame doorway directly in front of her, Anna could see the kitchen that was alongside the small dining area.

"I know it's smaller than what we've gotten used to these last few years," Iduna said as she approached her daughter. "But we don't need much space, just the two of us."

"That's true," Anna nodded, relief flooding through her as she felt the heater ignite and blast her face with warm air from the vent she didn't realize she was under. "It's a cute house. I like the front door."

"Come on. Let's go check out the bedrooms."

They walked down the only hallway just passed Iduna's home office. There were three doors along the hallway. The first door on the left revealed the small bathroom that ( _Thank goodness_ , Anna thought) had a double sink and full size tub. Across the hall from that was her mother's room, and the last door on the left passed the bathroom was Anna's. It was a little smaller than her room in Monterey, but not by much. Her bed had been placed in the corner with the nightstand next to it and her small desk was against the wall on the other side of that. To her surprise, there was a small alcove next to the closet where a window looking out over the wooded area behind the house was nestled, a small built in bench sitting underneath.

"What do you think, sweetie?"

"It'll do," Anna said with a curt nod. She didn't want to admit it aloud just yet (after all, she did want to make her mother suffer just a little for moving her all the way out here), but she was in love with her room. Specifically, she was in love with that window seat.

* * *

After several hours of unpacking and organizing, they sat at their small dining table with the take out her mother had picked up from some local diner called Wandering Oaken's. Anna had to admit it was delicious. Her mother had let her order chocolate chip pancakes slathered in peanut butter for dinner (she was definitely trying to placate her today), and they were totally hitting the comfort spot. Then again, chocolate always made anything better in Anna's opinion.

"Did all of your boxes arrive just fine?" Iduna asked, trying to make conversation after eating half of their meals in silence.

"Mmhm," Anna answered through a mouthful of gooey deliciousness.

"What do you think of Arendelle so far?" Iduna tried again. Anna answered with a half shrug. Her mother sighed and set her fork down. "I know this is a lot, little duck, but please try to make the best of this. At least for me? I think if you give it a chance, you'll really like it here. Alaska is a beautiful place."

Anna looked at her mother and the sincere, pleading look in her eyes made the teen's stomach churn with guilt. Not a great thing when it was stuffed full of sugary, heavy breakfast goods. She knew she was being purposefully moody and insolent. She had to remember that her mother didn't move her here as punishment, but for a well deserved career opportunity.

"Is this a lot like where you grew up?" Anna tried. She wouldn't pretend she was happy to be here, but she'd at least give the place a shot. She knew her mother appreciated it when a smile graced her face.

"There's some similarities, yes. It brings back memories I thought I'd long since forgotten," Iduna answered and a distant, almost sad, look filled her topaz eyes. "But I grew up on the mainland so there are a lot of differences as well. Though, I grew up hearing a lot about Arendelle and some of the other islands around here."

"Have you been here before?"

"No, but your grandmother had," Iduna said. Anna didn't know how to respond. Her mother didn't talk about her parents often, and when she did she almost assuredly got upset somehow, be it mad or sad. "She used to tell me stories that had been passed down through the generations. Stories of magic and fantasy, all tied back to the islands here."

"Magic?" Anna asked. "Like Harry Potter? Witches and wizards and all that?"

"No, not Harry Potter," her mother answered with a laugh. "The legends told of a people that once lived in harmony with nature. Nature loved these people so much, she gifted them with the magic of her sacred river. Many of the people where I grew up believed that the remaining descendants of those people live here in Arendelle and in a chain of islands across the Southern Sea."

"Your mother believed there was magic here? Do you too?"

"Mother believed it more than I ever did," Iduna answered with a smile. "I loved the stories when I was a child, but you know I'm far too pragmatic to have believed them for long."

Anna nodded. She could imagine her mother as a teenager scoffing at stories about magic and fantasy. Her mother hardly approved of Anna's choice in recreational reading material. Most of the time, Anna got the feeling her mother disliked even the idea of magic.

"Can I ask you one more question, Mama?" Anna asked tentatively. Her mother raised an eyebrow at the use of 'mama' instead of her usual 'mom' ( _when did I start calling her 'Mom' anyway?_ ), but nodded her approval. "What was she like? Grandmother, I mean."

For all her life, at least all that she can remember, it had always been just her mother and her. It didn't bother her much growing up, it was just their normal after all. While the other children often had two parents and some extended family, Anna was used to and happy with the fact that it was just the two North women. Being here though, so close to where her mother grew up (and subsequently where her father grew up), she couldn't help but wonder if she had more family nearby that she didn't know about.

"She was… a conservative woman," Iduna said, frowning slightly. This wasn't the first time that Anna had been curious about their family outside of the two of them. It happened a lot when she was younger; though, it had been years since she last asked. This was the first time she'd asked about someone specific, however. It wasn't the type of question Iduna could sweep away with a simple 'that's all in the past' and an offer of ice cream. "Steeped in tradition, everything she did and wanted done was in service to our heritage. She didn't approve of my choices, and so your father and I left."

"You haven't spoken to or seen her since then? When you left at eighteen?"

"My mother and I didn't have the best relationship," Iduna said honestly. Then the frown between her brows smoothed out and a soft smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "Not like you and me, little duck."

Anna couldn't help the smile that came. Her relationship with her mother was nearly picture perfect, the 'Gilmore Girls' really had nothing on them. Sure, sometimes she wished her mother wasn't so over protective, but she loved how open they were with each other. She couldn't imagine not having this relationship, and it made her sad that her mother and grandmother didn't seem to share the same one.

"I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, my darling," Iduna said. "Now, I'll clean up here. You should get ready for bed. You don't want to be late for your first day at your new school."

* * *

"Anna, let's go," her mother called from the living room. "You're going to make us late for your first day of school."

"I know! I just can't find my pen!"

"You have many pens, Anna. Why are you desperate for this specific one?"

"Because it's my _favorite_ pen. My _lucky_ pen. You know it - the fountain one with the extra fine, rose gold nib," Anna shouted through her open bedroom door.

"Have you checked your pencil case?"

"It has its own special case. Why would I…"

Anna suddenly stopped talking and her mother could hear more shuffling coming from down the hallway. Iduna rolled her eyes as she finished tying her scarf around her neck. Her daughter came around the corner as she slung her backpack onto one shoulder.

"Did you find it in your pencil case?"

"Maybe," Anna mumbled, pulling a light teal beanie with an oversized furry poof onto her head. She did everything she could to avoid her mother's eyes. She had a way of looking smug but humble that Anna knew to silently mean 'I told you so.' Anna braced herself for the bitter cold, the last two days proved that autumn in Alaska was undoubtedly cold. She tripped slightly on the last step, but caught herself in time to casually walk to the car.

The school was only about a mile and half from the house and, on most days, Anna would be walking (though she already planned on begging her mother for a ride when the weather was terrible). Today, however, Iduna had to finish up enrolling Anna in Arendelle High, so the two walked together through the front doors with most of the eyes of the student body trained on them. Anna tried not to feel self conscious.

 _They probably never get new kids here. They are gaping at the novelty, not at you_ , she tried telling herself. It was still doing very little to quell the anxiety that was mounting from all the stares.

"Ah! You must be the Norths," a kind, elderly woman (Ethel, if the nameplate belonged to her) behind the counter greeted them when they entered the front office. "We've been expecting you. The school is simply abuzz with your arrival."

"We noticed," Iduna said, sending Anna a reassuring smile. "I take it that you don't get very many new students."

"Oh deary, no," the secretary said with a smile. "Nearly all the children here have been in Arendelle all their lives. Though I suspect that we might get a few more new students once that new facility of yours brings in a few more families."

"For now, most of the other researchers and employees accepting the offers are young singles. Not many are willing to uproot their families to move to a small Alaskan town for work."

"Well, it's nice to have some new blood regardless! Now, I still have a few papers for you to sign Dr. North. I need to grab them, but here you go, Anna dear," Ethel said. She handed Anna her class schedule before heading through a door behind the counter.

Anna looked down at her schedule and scrunched her face. _This can't be right_ , she thought. She glanced at her mother who was checking something on her phone and gave a light tug on her coat sleeve to get her attention. Anna handed the schedule to her mother whose face adopted a similar expression.

"Here we go!" Ethel exclaimed as she approached the counter again and laid a small stack of forms in front of Iduna. She caught the expression of the two newcomers and grew concerned. "Is something wrong with the course load? We do a typical block schedule, with fifth period homeroom being everyday after lunch."

"Oh, that part we understood. It just appears that Anna's been placed in many classes she's already taken," Iduna said. "I think there must be a mistake."

"Her birthday indicated that she would be a Sophomore," Ethel said in confusion. She opened up a manila folder and glanced at a paper inside quickly. "You turned fifteen this summer correct, dear?"

"She did, but Anna skipped a grade early on," Iduna answered instead, pulling an envelope from her shoulder bag. "I had a feeling her transcripts might not have arrived before us. I've also included a copy of her class schedule from her last school."

Anna was used to her mother taking charge in these situations. She appreciated it really. Most of the time, her mother's 'helicopter' tendencies drove her crazy, but in situations like this, she was glad that her mom knew how to be the right amount of pushy. Not to say that Anna was a pushover, far from it actually. She was just much better at being assertive with her peers, not with adults.

"Oh, I see! Quite the smart cookie," Ethel said, glancing from the transcript to Anna and giving her a wink. "Not a problem! I'll create a new schedule while you finish up here. Oh, and I should call the Junior Class welcome buddy instead."

 _Why do they have welcome buddies if they never get new students?_ Anna thought.

"Rapunzel Corona, please report to the main office," Ethel said into the PA system before heading to her computer.

A few minutes later, a slender girl about a head taller than Anna literally bounded into the room. Her long, yellow-blonde hair was intricately braided and held together with a flower clip. Anna couldn't help but wonder exactly how long that hair was when it was released from its woven prison. The girl gave Anna a wide smile before she skipped up to the counter.

"You called for me, Ethel?"

"Oh, Rapunzel! Yes, I've got a new student for you to show around," Ethel said. She grabbed a couple pieces of paper from the printer behind her. Ethel handed one each to Anna and Rapunzel. Anna glanced over it, much more satisfied with the course assignments, and handed it to her mother. Iduna nodded her approval and looked back up at Ethel.

"Thank you, Ethel. You have been very helpful."

"My pleasure, Dr. North. Please feel free to contact us here if you have any concerns."

Iduna turned to Anna and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Have a good first day, little duck."

"Thanks, Mom," Anna mumbled. Her face instantly colored. She didn't mind the pet name her mom had for her, usually it made Anna feel comforted and loved. Right now, however, she was mortified that her mother used it in front of another student at her new school.

"So you must be Anna," the girl said, reading the name on the schedule Ethel had handed her. Anna actively worked not to flinch at the mispronunciation of her name. The blonde extended a hand to her. "The name's Rapunzel, but most people call me Raps."

"Actually, I go by Anna," she said, rounding out the first 'a' in her name and shaking Rapunzel's offered hand. "But I get that a lot, so no worries."

"Anna it is! Come on - I've got a lot to show you before the warning bell rings. Looks like we've got first period together, so that simplifies things."

She followed Rapunzel through the halls and tried to ignore the continued stares from the other students. Rapunzel was thorough. By the time they arrived at their English classroom, Anna was pretty sure she could navigate the halls and spout random facts about the history of the school and town. At the end of first period, Rapunzel walked her to her next class. Anna tried to tell her she was pretty sure she could find her way around, but Rapunzel refused.

"No can do, sweetie. It's in our hospitality policy that all new students get escorted around the school on their first day."

"When was the last time there was a new student?" Anna asked. She couldn't imagine it was any time recently and Ethel had implied such this morning.

"That would be when Eugene's family moved here when he was in the first grade. He's a senior now," Rapunzel answered lightly.

Anna froze in place, eyes growing wide. "I'm the first new student in over a decade?"

"Don't worry, Anna. You'll be old news soon enough," Rapunzel said as a group of students walked passed whispering and gawking. "Okay, maybe not so soon, but eventually. Anyway, here we are! Let's find someone to be your next escort."

Rapunzel took a quick glance around the room and her eyes settled on a broad-shouldered blonde boy sitting in the front row. Glancing back down at Anna's schedule, she nodded and beckoned her to follow.

"Hey, Kristoff," Rapunzel said as they approached the boy. "This is Anna. Do you think you can show her around until fifth period? She's got homeroom with us."

"Sure thing, Raps," Kristoff said as he eyed Anna.

"See you later, Anna," the blonde exclaimed as she headed out.

* * *

"Aren't you kind of small for a junior?" Kristoff said to her as they walked to the cafeteria after third period Spanish class.

Anna was instantly incensed. She'd been teased about her size her whole life. Anna had heard it all - shorty, pipsqueak, runt… the list goes on. Admittedly, she was very petite - just barely five foot two inches when she stood as tall as possible. It also didn't help that she was a year younger than everyone in her grade. Her mother assured her that she'd eventually catch up, she'd been waiting years to finally hit a growth spurt, but she had a feeling it would never come. Suffice it to say, it was a sore spot for Anna.

"Aren't you kind of old to be in high school?" She shot back at him. He was extremely burly and had a faint shadow of stubble across his chin, making him appear older than the typical high school senior. They stared at each other for a moment before the blonde boy burst into laughter.

"I like you, feisty pants," Kristoff said.

Anna paused upon entering the cafeteria and scanned the room. It appeared that the entire school was having lunch, which didn't really surprise her. A town as small as this, the student body had to be small and, therefore, there was no need for multiple lunch periods. There was a strange feeling in her chest suddenly, accompanied by a ringing in her ear. She pulled her gaze toward a figure, as if guided by some unknown force. She caught a glimpse of a platinum blonde braid before Kristoff's voice broke her out of the moment.

"Come on, you can sit with us."

Shaking off the feeling, Anna followed Kristoff across the cafeteria, once again doing her best to ignore the eyes that tracked her as she went. They finally approached a table near a window where two other kids were seated. She guessed they were siblings based on the similarities in their features, potentially fraternal twins.

"Hey, guys. This is Anna. Anna, this is Ryder and Honeymaren," Kristoff introduced.

"Welcome to Arendelle," the two said at the same time.

"Don't mind their twin telepathy," Kristoff whispered and they both sat down.

Anna pulled out her lunch and chanced a look around. She was glad to see that people had stopped staring at her. Rapunzel waved to her from a few tables away and she waved back. The bubbly girl was sitting between a very handsome boy and the platinum blonde braid she saw upon entering the room. Something about the girl was alluring even though Anna couldn't see her face. She found herself staring at the girl's back waiting for her to turn around. Just as the girl moved to look at Rapunzel, Kristoff spoke to her.

"So, Anna. What's California like?"

She turned her attention back to Kristoff and considered his question. "Warm."

He laughed heartily again. "You're a riot, feisty pants."

* * *

"How's your day going so far?" Rapunzel asked her as they left their AP Biology class. It turned out that she and Rapunzel actually shared three classes, including fifth period home room. It was nice to know that she'd have two periods every day with the friendly girl who was currently walking Anna to her last class on her way to the art room.

"Oh, you know. Just getting the hang of things, but people have been nice," Anna answered honestly.

"I'm glad! I hope you'll like it here," Rapunzel said as she led Anna into the Chemistry lab. She led Anna a few benches down, stopping at the one where the platinum blonde braid from the cafeteria was sitting. "Hey, Elsa!"

The girl turned and Anna's breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. _This is a face to launch a thousand ships. Aphrodite herself would be jealous of her beauty,_ she thought. The girl's flawless skin was extremely pale, but Anna guessed that the Alaskan weather didn't lend much to tanning. She had a delicate nose, almost graceful in the swoop from its bridge to its point, and high cheekbones nestled under large, round eyes. But it was those eyes bright, ocean blue eyes that held Anna's attention. She was instantly captivated. Anna could swim in those eyes.

"Anna, this is Elsa. Elsa, meet Anna. She's going to be your partner," Rapunzel's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"How do you know she'll be paired with me?"

 _Even her speaking voice is beautiful,_ Anna thought. _Sultry; probably a mezzo._ She realized in that moment that her mouth was slightly agape and shut it quickly with an audible click. Luckily, the two blondes were occupied with their conversation and didn't notice Anna's leering.

"Are you saying you have a partner?" Rapunzel challenged. The girl, Elsa apparently, only stared at her in response and Rapunzel smiled brightly. "That's what I thought. Well, you're in luck! From what I hear, Anna may be smarter than even you."

Elsa seemed to stiffen at the comment. Anna noticed that Elsa's eyes flickered to her, but she didn't let them linger. The blonde said nothing, and the silence was deafening.

"Well, this is awkward," Anna muttered. She realized when both blondes turned to look at her that she'd pulled a classic Anna and said what she'd intended to be an internal thought out loud. She could smack herself in the face right now. "Not that _you're_ awkward, but because this… It's that me we… I be… I'm awkward. You're gorgeous. Wait. What?"

Anna clamped her mouth shut so tightly she was sure she'd crack a tooth. She trained her eyes on the ceiling and shook her head slowly. Anna could feel the blush burn even hotter as she tried her best not to look at the two older girls.

"You're adorable," Rapunzel said eventually, causing Anna to, somehow, blush even more. Anna looked at the welcome buddy and found she had a very wide, knowing smile plastered on her face. "I kind of want to put you in my pocket and keep you for myself. I have a feeling we're going to be very good friends. Don't you think, dear cousin?"

 _Cousin?_ Anna thought. She took another look at the faces of the two girls. Well, Elsa's profile as the platinum blonde had turned back to face the front of the room. She could pick out the similarities. They were subtle, but they were there in the shape of the eyes, the turn of the nose, the point of the chin. She saw Elsa offer Rapunzel only a shrug in response and Anna fought a sigh. _Way to go, Anna. You should write a book on making first impressions. You've just made your new lab partner uncomfortable with your word vomit._

And uncomfortable was what the rest of the day ended up being. After their teacher had Anna introduce herself (for the fourth time today), he did indeed assign her to partner with Elsa. The stoic girl spent the entire period trying to avoid looking at Anna. During the lecture portion, they kept bumping elbows as they wrote since their respective dominant hands were between them. The first time it happened had felt almost like an electric shock, and Anna jumped so much she dropped her favorite pen. Elsa had picked it up for her, eyeing it briefly before setting it down on the bench between them. When it came time to do a quick experiment, they kept fumbling over each other. It was obvious to Anna that Elsa preferred to work on her own and was having a hard time adjusting.

Mercifully, the end of the class finally rolled around and Elsa had disappeared so fast that Anna missed her leave. She felt her stomach roll in disappointment; a disappointment she had a feeling stemmed from a sudden infatuation that could one day get her into trouble.

 _Great. Just great. Not even a whole day and you've developed a crush. Get a grip, Anna. You always fall too fast,_ Anna thought to herself as she started her trek home through the cold Alaskan afternoon. _This is going to be a long year._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome to any new readers! This is the same story from FFnet. I will not be changing anything about it (except to fix typos should I find any). I will post multiple chapters a week until I catch up with the original posting. 
> 
> Thanks to my BETA (my sister), and thanks to all you readers (new and old)!


	2. The Aren Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

**12 October 2019**

_Why am I up so early on a Saturday?_

Anna was slumped in a chair in her mother's office at the Marine Life Institute, sipping from a to-go cup with the logo of _Wandering Oaken's_ , the same cute little local diner they'd had take-out from on their first night. She'd asked her mother if she could have a latte. Her answer was as Anna expected - a resounding no. So instead, she settled for a hot chocolate (extra whip cream) and a chocolate croissant (lightly toasted). Hopefully the sugar would help wake her up at this ungodly hour.

"Nine is not an ungodly hour, Anna," Iduna said from her desk where she was looking over several contracts.

"It is when it's Saturday. My first Alaskan Saturday at that," Anna whined. "Why am I even here?"

"The Mayor is coming to check out the facility today. I was told to bring my family and as much of the other staff as possible," Iduna explained, still not looking up from her work. "The board has asked that I lead a tour around the facility before treating everyone to lunch. In order for the institute to be allowed to open here and continue our research, there is some schmoozing involved."

"Do I have to go to this lunch?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"Thank goodness" Anna said, shoving the rest of her croissant in her mouth. This was not enough chocolate for her current mood. "I dun geh wah ish so im-otant."

"Try that again after you finish your bite," her mother said sternly.

Anna washed it down with a big gulp of cocoa. "I said, 'I don't get why it's so important.'"

"It's a small town, little duck. Support from the local government is important somewhere remote like this. Today is a vital step for us to stay here." Her mother's answer implied a certain level of finality to the conversation, but Anna's sour mood just wouldn't quit.

"I didn't want to come here in the first place," she mumbled, mostly to herself and under her breath.

Iduna heard it regardless. She looked over at her daughter sulking in her chair. Anna had pulled out a textbook and was trying to busy herself with some homework as they waited, but Iduna knew her daughter well. She was burying herself in work to tamper down what she was currently feeling; she was very much like her mother in many ways.

"I know, little duck," Iduna said as she walked over to Anna from behind her desk and kneeled before her. She tucked a stray lock of hair that had found its way free from Anna's signature twin braids behind her ear. "I asked a lot of you to move out here, to a seemingly nowhere place, in the middle of high school. I feel guilty asking you for more, but please try. This is important for my career and for our lives. Make friends, get to know the town. I'm hoping we'll be here for a while yet."

Anna met her mother's eyes and immediately felt guilty for her classically teenager mood this morning. She understood that everything her mother ever did was for her and she should be grateful to have such a spectacular mom, even if she could be suffocatingly protective most of the time. And, really, the town wasn't so bad. The kids at school, despite not having the decency to make their gawking less obvious, were welcoming and friendly. Plus, she had to admit - Arendelle was beautiful (if you could look passed the biting cold). In most ways, it was the exact opposite of where she'd prefer to live, but it held a wonder all its own.

She studied her mother's expression for a moment more. Not for the first time, Anna wished she'd inherited more of her mother's features than her father's. Where Anna's hair was a fiery shade of orange with unruly tendrils and more freckles dotted her nose and cheeks than she'd care to have, her mother's deep chestnut hair was a perfect, tamable, silky texture and her complexion was as unblemished as the finest porcelain. The look on her mother's face was conveying one thing though - hope.

Who was Anna to deny her this? Her mother had given up a lot for her. Anna had been asked many times how someone as beautiful as her mother could still be single. The answer was simple - she was single because Anna wanted her to be. Iduna had tried dating several times, but Anna never seemed ready to share her mother with anyone else. The last time a relationship had gotten serious, Anna threw the biggest fit she'd ever had. She threatened to run away and join the military.

Granted she was only twelve, and this was completely not feasible, but Iduna got the picture. The guy was gone the next day and they moved to Monterey a month later. Thinking back on it now, Anna was ashamed. Her mother deserved happiness, and if she wasn't ready to share her mother with a man, even now, then she could at the very least give her this.

"Okay," she said quietly. "For you, I'll try. I promise."

"What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful daughter?"

Anna tried not to wince at the comment. Her mother deserved so much more than the daughter that she had. Instead, she just smiled and turned back to her homework. They worked quietly for nearly an hour when a knock on the door broke the silence.

"Dr. North, the Mayor is here," said Dr. Thatch. "She's brought along the Parks director with her."

"Thank you, Milo," Iduna said. "And please call me Iduna. I don't want to have to tell you again."

The man blushed slightly and nodded eagerly. "Of course, Dr. No… Iduna. My apologies. Miss Tomago is getting everyone checked in. I'll have her escort the Mayor and her associate to your office once they're all set."

After another awkward apology and an even more awkward wave goodbye, Dr. Thatch scurried away. Anna tried her best not to laugh as she watched the whole exchange.

"I think Dr. Thatch has a crush on you," Anna said.

Iduna paused but didn't look up from the paperwork in her hands. "I don't involve myself with colleagues."

Guilt washed through Anna over the relief she felt from the simple statement, but she chose to ignore it and focused once again on her homework. It wasn't long before there was another knock on the door and Anna looked up to see Go Go Tomago, a postdoctoral research fellow that Iduna had handpicked for this satellite station. Go Go had been working with her mother since she had started graduate school over three years ago, and had become a fixture in both of their lives. She was almost like the big sister Anna never had, and Anna was happy when she decided to take the offer to continue working with Iduna in Alaska.

"Hey Dr. N - I've got the mayor and her sister for you," Go Go said before turning in Anna's direction. "What's up, kiddo?"

"Oh, you know - chemistry homework," Anna said, gesturing to the mess spread out on the makeshift desk she'd created using a small rolling filing cabinet.

"Please show our guests in, Go Go," Iduna said once she organized the papers on her desk. Go Go stepped aside and allowed the two newcomers to enter, and Anna had to hide her audible gasp by clearing her throat.

The first woman to walk through the door was elegant and gorgeous, her golden hair quaffed into an elaborate, braided bun. Wearing a pinstripe pantsuit with an ice blue top that highlighted her eyes, she walked with an authority of someone with much more power than Anna would expect out of a small town Mayor. Only a few steps behind, another equally beautiful woman walked in wearing dark washed skinny jeans and a red flannel shirt; her dirty-blonde hair done up in a ponytail pulled through the back of an Arendelle High baseball cap. What caught Anna's breath, though, were the unmistakable ocean blue eyes and the light dusting of freckles across their pale noses that both women possessed. Anna couldn't be absolutely sure, but she would bet money that these two (ridiculously beautiful) women were somehow related to her (equally, ridiculously beautiful) stand-offish lab partner.

"Mayor Aren," Iduna said, coming around her desk and shaking the more formal blonde's hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet in person."

_I should have put money down_ , Anna thought. There's no way these women weren't related to Elsa Aren (hey, she needed to know Elsa's full name to include in her lab report. She's definitely not a stalker).

"Please, Dr. North, call me Kaira. This town is a small, tight knit community, and we're rather informal here. If my sister's attire didn't already give that away," she responded with a pointed, disapproving look at her sister.

"I'm the Director of Parks and Recreation. This _is_ my formal attire," the other blonde said dismissively, then she turned her head to Anna and winked, startling the red head and causing an involuntary blush to color her cheeks.

"Regardless," Kaira said, ever professional despite her request for the opposite. "We're very happy that you're here. This will bring a much welcomed change to our small island, Dr. North."

"Please, call me Iduna. I never much liked being addressed by my title. It feels pretentious."

The Mayor laughed musically. "Trust me. I completely understand, Iduna. I brought Olivia along because she was interested in what you had planned for your outdoor research activities as it may affect the wildlife and natural resources to which we've grown accustomed."

"Please, only she calls me Olivia," the other woman said, nodding to her sister as she offered a hand to Iduna. "Everyone knows me as Liv."

"It's nice to meet you, Liv. Please be assured that we will do everything in our power to preserve the natural habitats that Arendelle has to offer," Iduna said, taking the proffered hand. After a formal handshake, Iduna pulled out a binder and handed it to Liv. "There aren't many places left in the world that have remained untouched by humans, and we'd like to keep the habitats here that way. These are all the precautions we plan on taking."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to read these over and come to you with questions," Liv said quickly before changing the subject so fast, it nearly gave all the other women in the room conversational whiplash. Liv turned to Anna with a coy grin. "So, this must be your daughter?"

"Yes, Anna just started as a Junior at the local high school," Iduna said and gestured to Anna. She got up and walked to her mother's side where Iduna placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh yes, I know," Liv said, with her smile now reaching her eyes.

"Olivia," Kaira said, a warning cadence to her voice that Anna didn't quite understand. The two sisters stared at each other for several moments, like some sort of silent conversation was occurring between them. Eventually, Liv just shrugged.

"News travels fast in a small town," Liv said innocently, though the smile on her face held an air of mischief to it. She let her gaze roam over Anna quickly. "Hm, Elsa was right. You _are_ very petite."

Anna felt her cheeks burning; not exactly sure what to make of Liv's comment. She bit down on all the questions that raced through her mind at the mention of Elsa and tried glancing at the Mayor for any indication. If looks were as sharp as knives, Anna was sure Liv would have been impaled by the dagger Kaira sent at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Anna," Kaira said, not commenting on her sister's bluntness and shook Anna's hand.

"You as well, Mayor Aren." Then it clicked. She could kick herself for not making the connection before. "Oh, Aren. Like Arendelle? Your family founded this town."

"That's right. Many generations ago."

"Elsa did say she was smart," Liv whispered not so subtly. Kaira pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"My welcome buddy at school was very thorough," Anna said through yet another fierce blush.

"I'm sorry about my sister. Tact is not one of her strengths," Kaira said, glaring at Liv once more before she turned to Anna with another smile. "And I'll have to tell Auntie Ari that Rapunzel did a good job then."

"Who's Elsa?" her mother whispered in her ear. Anna jumped. She had nearly forgotten that her mother was even standing behind her.

"Our little sister," Liv said airily.

_So that's how they're connected,_ Anna mused. _It should be illegal to have so many beautiful people in one family_.

"Will she be joining us for lunch?" Iduna asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Kaira said. "She's helping our Aunt and Uncle with something today."

"Elsa..." Iduna said questioningly before the light turned on in her eyes. "Oh! Is this the chem lab partner you can't stop talking about?"

"Mom!" Anna whispered shrilly, completely mortified. She was pretty sure her face was redder than her hair. She wished she could sink into the floor, especially since Liv was giving her the goofiest grin yet.

"Is that so?" Liv asked, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes shimmered with curiosity and mischief. Even Kaira seemed interested, to Anna's further embarrassment.

"Yes, each day there's been some new story she -"

"Mother! Please stop talking," Anna turned around to give her a look. Iduna held up her hands, but Anna could tell she made eye contact with both of the women behind her. She rolled her eyes. "Isn't there some sort of tour you're supposed to take them on?"

"Oh yes! Of course," Iduna said, not bothering to hide her smirk. "We really should get started. Go Go, could you run ahead and let everyone know we're making our way around?"

"Sure thing, Dr. N," Go Go said. She gave Anna a smile that clearly said 'I'm going to ask you about this later' before she walked out. Anna had to stifle a groan. She'd completely forgotten that Go Go was still there.

_Just another witness to my humiliation_ , she thought.

"I'll stay here," Anna said, hoping to get a reprieve from the awkward situation. "Finish up some homework."

"Of course, little duck," her mother said. Anna finally felt the color drain from her face at the use of this particular term of endearment in front of this particular audience. "I'll ask Go Go to take you home after the tour."

Thankfully, neither of the blonde goddesses made any comment about the nickname and the older women made their way out of the office. Well, at least her mother and Kaira did. Liv walked over to her makeshift desk and glanced over her school work.

"Oh, chemistry? I could call Elsa and -"

"Olivia Rian, do not make me regret allowing you to come along today," Kaira called from just outside Iduna's office.

"Oof, mom-voice _plus_ the middle name. She's really serious," Liv winced and made her way out. She gave Anna one more smile before she left. "I hope to see more of you, Anna!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna whispered to herself once she was alone.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Go Go walked back into the office and sank into the seat next to Anna.

"How'd the tour go?"

"As expected," Go Go said. "The Mayor had a lot of questions, but all good ones. Liv was fun to have around. She lightened the mood."

_I can only imagine_ , Anna thought, but all she offered was a noncommittal grunt. She was still a little sore from the complete embarrassment earlier. Anna could hardly focus at all on any of her homework. She'd spent the better part of the last couple of hours trying to deduce exactly what Elsa's sisters' actions during their first meeting implied.

Go Go laughed. "Oh, don't be so pouty, Anna bear. I think they were all just giving you a hard time. Which, by the way, who is this Elsa and why haven't I heard about her yet?"

"Like my mom said, she's my chemistry partner," Anna shrugged, willing her face not to redden for the thousandth time this morning.

"Uh huh. And that's it?" Go Go pressed. Anna didn't answer and instead methodically packed all her school things into her backpack. "Ah, I see. So she's pretty?"

"Did you _see_ her sisters?" Anna asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Point taken," Go Go said. "Alright, let's get going."

That was one of the things Anna loved about Go Go. She always knew when to stop prying, but she was approachable whenever Anna needed someone other than her mother to talk to. Go Go had helped her through many personal crises over the years, for which Anna was eternally grateful. She was selfishly not looking forward to the day when Go Go finally finished her thesis, obtained her PhD, and moved on from working with her mother.

As they approached the front exit of the Institute and Anna turned in her visitor's badge to the front desk, she suddenly felt a tug somewhere behind her navel. The first time it had happened, Anna was worried to say the least, but over the week, it was something she'd gotten used to. She really couldn't begin to explain what it was. It confused her at the moment, however, because this feeling only ever occurred when Elsa was -

"Hey, Anna!" a voice called at her the moment she stepped outside with Go Go. She looked up to see the excited face of her welcome buddy.

"Raps? What are you doing here?"

Rapunzel was standing with Kaira, who, for some reason, had an almost exasperated look on her face. "Oh, Liv texted Elsa earlier saying she forgot her jacket and asked us to drop it off to her here."

Rapunzel gestured over to a shiny white, extremely sporty looking Audi crossover. Anna could see Liv leaning on her forearms into the open driver side window, a jacket draped over one shoulder. Then quickly (quicker than Anna would ever admit out loud), her eyes were drawn to the unmistakable platinum blonde sitting in the driver's seat. Her attention was diverted by a low whistle coming from the girl next to her.

"Audi Q5, seven speed S-tronic transmission, nearly two-hundred fifty horse-power, zero to sixty in less than six seconds," Go Go said in awe. Anna just stared at her incredulously and Go Go shrugged. "It's a great car."

"I mostly chose it for the all-wheel drive and the advanced safety features," Kaira said while she checked something on her phone before smiling up at the three younger women. "You can't be too careful with your baby sister's safety."

"That's an understatement," Raps whispered to Anna, who was still standing with her mouth slightly agape and completely thrown by the situation that seemed to be unfolding around her. To top it all off, Liv ran over to them in excitement.

"Okay, you're all set! Elsa will take you home," Liv said, smiling so brightly at Anna she was nearly blinded. She blinked several times.

"Wait… what?" Anna asked, looking over at Rapunzel. Her friend only offered her a half shrug.

"Olivia, I swear I don't know where I went wrong with you," Kaira said, fixing her sister with yet another disapproving gaze.

Liv brushed off the comment though and answered Anna. "I asked Elsa to take you home so that Go Go can just come right along to lunch!"

"That really wasn't necessary. I wouldn't want to trouble anyone," Anna responded, peering at Go Go with a pleading look to save her from this mess.

"Um… Yeah, I really don't mind driving Anna home. Besides, she's prone to motion sickness so-"

"Oh, that's fine. Punzie can sit in the back," Liv interrupted. "Isn't that right, baby cousin?"

"Ye-yeah. Sure, of course," Rapunzel said, a slight pink tinge coloring her cheeks that didn't seem to be due to the cold outside air.

"You're dead set on embarrassing everyone today, aren't you?" Kaira said, only to be ignored once more by her sister.

"Your house is on their way back to Rapunzel's so no troubles at all," Liv finished brightly, ending the conversation right there. Anna couldn't think of any reason to refuse ( _ugh, why can't I think of a reason to refuse!_ ).

And that's how Anna found herself sitting in the passenger seat of Elsa's immaculately clean car in complete (and totally awkward) silence. She watched the trees pass by her window. The institute was nearly twenty minutes from her house and they hadn't even made it halfway there yet, but the tension was so palpable it was really weighing Anna down. She just needed to make it all the way there without opening her mouth (because surely she'd say something incredibly stupid).

"Thanks for the ride. I'm sorry for… you know, interrupting your day. Or whatever," Anna said. So much for keeping quiet. At least she didn't say anything idiotic or ramble on about something inconsequential, which, really, was her default mode.

"You don't have to apologize," Elsa said, not glancing her way ( _she's driving, Anna. Be reasonable_ ). "Liv is… persistent."

_Okay, good. A nice, quick, normal interaction. Now quit while you're ahead. Don't push it_ , she thought. "Um… yeah. Well, I thought both of your sisters were nice. And they're both beautiful. ( _Way to go, dork._ ). Not that you're not just as beautiful… because you are - beautifuller actually. ( _What?! Stop right now!_ ). I mean… not fuller. You don't look fuller. I mean more… Oh my god, shut up..."

Anna chanced a glance at Elsa. She thought she might have seen a smirk, but it was so brief and so small that Anna couldn't be too sure. It could have just been a trick of the light.

"I'm sorry. That was… weird and awkward. Not because of you! You're neither weird nor awkward… I feel like we've kind of had this conversation before," Anna continued, attempting to find a place to stop the deluge of words escaping her mouth. Too late - it's a full on Anna spiral. "Yeah - the first time we met… I went all 'classic Anna,' as my mother calls it, then too… I have this bad habit of rambling. I mean, I know I'm doing it, rambling that is, but I just can't stop -"

"I've noticed," Elsa mercifully interrupted her. She pulled the handbrake and Anna looked around. They were parked in her driveway already. She couldn't even remember making it here. Anna chanced another glance at her impromptu chauffeur and saw that she was definitely smirking because Elsa actually turned to look at her for the first time ever. "About the rambling I mean."

_Holy moley, those eyes are impossibly blue,_ she thought. It was the first time she got to look directly into those eyes instead of just sneaking a glance at them from her profile while they worked at the same chemistry bench or from across the choir room (shut up, she's definitely not a stalker).

"You have?" Anna asked.

"We're lab partners," Elsa clarified, that adorable and captivating half-smirk still pulling at her mouth and creating a dimple Anna hadn't seen before. "You don't really seem comfortable sitting in silence while we work."

"Ha, yeah," Anna said, averting her gaze so that she doesn't come off so crazy. "I have been told that it is my most defining characteristic."

"I think it's endearing," the blonde replied. When Anna's eyes snapped back to her, Elsa just shrugged one shoulder and fiddled with the dual charms on her necklace. Anna could make out the a snowflake and some sort of ornate diamond-shaped pendant before she met Elsa's eyes. They sat for a moment's pause, locked in a quiet trance, when the reverie was broken by Ariana Grande singing about her favorite things blaring loudly behind them. Both girls started, their hearts nearly bursting through their chests at the sudden interruption.

"Sorry! Sorry, my bad," Rapunzel said quickly answering her phone. "Hey, mom... Yeah, we're headed back… Uh huh…"

Anna didn't think she could ever feel betrayed by Miss Ari, but at this moment, she was prepared to delete every one of her albums from her phone. She looked back at Elsa and gave her a shy smile. "I should let you go. Sounds like your aunt is looking for you."

Elsa nodded and Anna got out of the car, Rapunzel doing the same from the seat just behind her.

"Yeah, mom. Hold on just a sec," Rapunzel said. She pulled the phone from her ear and gave Anna an apologetic look. "Sorry. I'll see you at school on Monday, okay?"

"Yeah, see ya!" Anna said with a reassuring smile as she walked up to her house. She slipped on the bottom step of the front door landing, as usual. There was something about this step - she never seemed to traverse it unscathed. She needed to remember to start skipping it. Looking back over her shoulder just as Rapunzel climbed into the front seat, she could see Elsa smirking again, likely on account of her clumsiness.

Anna sent them a final wave as she unlocked the front door and retreated inside, heart fluttering as quickly as a hummingbird's wings.

"Get a grip, Anna," she said to herself resolutely. She went to her room and attempted to complete her homework, but found that she couldn't focus. All she could think about were deep ocean eyes and a singular cute dimple formed from a half smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! And thanks to my BETA - the best chosen sister ever in existence.


	3. The Close Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

**18 October 2019**

By Friday of her second week, Anna had fallen into an easy pattern at school. Walk the 1.5 miles and shove her huge parka into her locker. Sit with Kristoff or Rapunzel during her morning classes. Have lunch with the burly guy and the Nova twins while trying not to stare at Elsa from across the cafeteria. Then there was AP Bio before the last period of the day where she also tried not to stare at Elsa. That's right… She had both sixth and seventh periods with Elsa. Everyday ended in a class with Elsa.

And it was torture.

When she'd walked into the choir room for sixth period with Rapunzel that first Tuesday afternoon, she caught the unmistakable silver braid from the corner of her eye and had to call upon all her willpower in order to focus on the piano at the front of the room. After a quick range test with the director, Anna was welcomed into the soprano section where she sat next to an excited Rapunzel. She was very aware that Elsa was somewhere behind her and to the left, between the sopranos and the altos. She had guessed right after hearing Elsa speak only one sentence - she was a mezzo.

And a talented mezzo at that.

Anna easily picked out Elsa's voice from the rest of the girls of the Women's Choir despite her blending in well. She spent that first class trying to focus her part, listening closely to Rapunzel and following her sheet music. Despite all her efforts, she continually found herself tuning into Elsa's voice. But that was only on Tuesday.

On Thursday, their choir director had Elsa practice her solo piece. Anna was not prepared… at all. Within the confines of the choir, Elsa's voice was beautifully complementary; smoothly melding with the other girls in her part while harmonizing seamlessly with the rest. On her own though, Elsa's voice was incomparable, and her ability to navigate runs up and down her range was a masterclass in control. And that voice... If it was physically possible, Anna would have melted at that voice. The texture was both raspy yet velvety; her vibrato was thin but rounded and added to the steeliness of her belt; her timbre was strong and powerful in the upper ranges, but the lower extremes held a vulnerability that betrayed the "Ice Queen" epithet Anna had learned the rest of the student body used to refer to the blonde.

But it was that belt that wowed Anna the most. When Elsa had hit the high Eb5 at the end of her solo at full voice, Anna was almost literally floored. She'd never encountered a voice that held such power. It soared and enveloped the room in a majesty that was nearly tangible; leaving Anna in awe as the last note faded away.

_You'll catch flies, sweetie,_ Rapunzel had whispered as she used one finger under Anna's chin to help pick up her unhinged jaw. The redhead blushed and her new friend only chuckled at her; smirking the same way she had been for the last couple of days whenever she caught Anna looking at Elsa. Anna just hoped she wasn't so transparent that Rapunzel already knew she was harboring a massive crush for her cousin.

"Whatcha doing this weekend, feisty pants?" Kristoff asked, shoving the last of his sandwich into his mouth and breaking Anna from her own thoughts, bringing her back to the present.

"Probably unpacking some more. We've yet to put up any of the art my mom and I have collected over the years and the walls are looking far too barren," she responded. "And stop calling me 'feisty pants.'"

"Oh… well, if you find you can take a break from that, the twins and I are going to go shopping for Halloween costumes tomorrow," he said, not acknowledging Anna's command. "I thought maybe you'd like to get one too?"

Anna shrugged as the bell rang to signal the end of the lunch period. "I didn't realize people would dress up for Halloween."

"Oh yeah! Flynn usually throws a big party in the wooded area behind his house," Kristoff said excitedly. "Halloween is on a school night this year so it's going to be the day after. I think you should come. You know? Mingle with the townies."

A tug somewhere behind her navel, one that Anna had started getting accustomed to over the last two weeks, caused her to turn her head. She saw as Elsa quickly departed her table, ignoring the call of her name from Rapunzel, and left the cafeteria, dumping her lunch (tray and all) on her way out.

"Does everyone go to this party?" Anna asked as her eyes continued to track the platinum braid until it disappeared around a corner.

After her brief interaction with the two elder Aren sisters on Saturday, Anna had gotten the impression that Elsa talked about her to them. And following the ride home, Anna had thought that maybe her relationship with her lab partner would take a turn for the better. Now, however, Anna was beginning to suspect that what Elsa talked about with her sisters regarding the redhead had to be all bad things. Because there was one thing Anna was certain of:

Elsa couldn't stand her.

Yet, Anna could not help but think about the blonde non-stop. She knew she was being ridiculous and her crush would lead her nowhere. Her logical side kept screaming at her that she needed to get over this and fast. Alas, the butterflies in her stomach didn't seem to want to agree and her heart continued to hope despite all the evidence to the contrary.

And really, Anna wasn't doing herself any favors. She was awkward on any given day, but around Elsa, she became a complete spazz case. This last Tuesday in Chem lab, Anna spilled acetic acid on her own shirt when Elsa asked her a simple question. Sure, it was low grade, basically household vinegar, but she could smell herself through her frozen nose all the way home. Then, just yesterday, Anna nearly set their bench top ablaze trying to light their bunsen burner. She ran to grab the fire extinguisher, but when she turned back, Elsa had already somehow put out the small fire with only the corner of Anna's lab notebook showing any signs of being singed. When she picked it up, it was strangely cold, but she was too embarrassed to give it much more thought.

And as if their conversation on Saturday had never happened ( _what's with this hot and cold treatment anyway?_ ), none of her stammering apologies could elicit any verbal acknowledgement from the Ice Queen. All Elsa did was keep a stony face and gave her a shrug, not looking up once to meet her eyes.

"Yeah, basically the entire school comes out," Kristoff said, bringing Anna back into the conversation once more. "I think you should really consider coming. It's a blast; though, it's not such a crazy time like I see on TV. How close were you to the O.C. anyway?"

Anna blinked at Kristoff for a moment before frowning at him. "Are you telling me that your entire perspective of California, as a _whole_ , is based on _The O.C._?"

"Well… yeah?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Ok, first off, don't make sweeping judgements about all kids in California based on that show. It is terribly unrealistic. And second… I'll think about it."

"Come on! What's there to think about? You haven't gone out and done anything yet -"

"Because it's so cold outside!"

"And this is the perfect opportunity to -"

"Freeze to death from the inside out?"

"Interact with the locals," Kristoff finished pointedly. "You know? Establish yourself? Maybe start building your life here?"

Anna let out an exaggerated sigh. Her mother did tell her that she should try getting comfortable in this town. Iduna had implied that this just might be somewhere they settled down for quite a while, potentially until Anna went off to college. If she was going to finish her high school career here at a minimum, and most likely need to visit her mother here afterward, she would need to get used to the place and just maybe lay down some roots. Kristoff was right, this is a good place to start.

"Fine," Anna relented. "You're right. I should get out more."

"Great! Cool! It'll be fun," Kristoff said, a blush painting across his cheeks when Ryder not so subtly gave him a thumbs up from across the table. Anna pretended not to see. She had already gotten the impression that Kristoff might be developing feelings that could be more than just friendly, but she wasn't sure if she saw him as anything potentially more than that. Sure, she'd admit she found him attractive, the first boy she could say that about in a few years in fact, but her mind was always preoccupied with another certain blonde of a more platinum hue.

"I'm not promising I'll attend the party," she said just as the bell sounded marking the end of lunch. Her three table mates started to protest, but she held up a hand to stop the barrage. "That's a much more complicated situation as my mother will likely not allow it, but I'll at least help you all pick out your costumes."

Ryder gave her a sympathetic look. "Ah, that's too bad, but at -"

"Least we'll see you tomorrow," Honeymaren finished and waved as the twins turned down a different hallway.

"I'm really glad you've agreed to go. Well, at least shopping tomorrow," Kristoff said awkwardly after a beat on the way to their fifth period class together.

"Like I said, you're right. I need to get out and about town more. My mother has been saying the same thing," Anna replied with a small shrug. She squared her shoulders and adopted a much more regal tone to her voice in a spot on imitation of her mother. "'Anna Rae, stop moping around the house and start accepting our new life here. Eating that much chocolate is quite unbecoming of a young lady.'"

"Your mother sounds intense," Kristoff said with wide eyes.

"She can be. I get it though," Anna said with another shrug as she let her posture relax back to her own self. "It's just the two of us. We only have each other, so all her worries are highly concentrated on me."

"I guessed as much. You never really talk about your dad," Kristoff said and an uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them.

Anna's dad had died before her first birthday so she never got the chance to know him. Which also meant that she never knew how to talk about him when he came up in conversation. Luckily, they were almost at their classroom and the awkwardness was granted a natural end. Anna instinctively made her way over to her seat next to Rapunzel, but stopped when she felt someone take her hand. She turned to look back at Kristoff when that now all too familiar tug pulled at her. She saw over Kristoff's shoulder that Elsa was frozen just outside their classroom door. Anna met her eyes for a brief second before the other girl quickly continued on her way.

"Sorry I brought that up. I can tell you don't like to talk about it," Kristoff said genuinely, regaining Anna's attention.

Anna was confused at first, both by his statement and the odd look she'd interpreted on Elsa's face, but it quickly clicked. _Oh, he must mean about Dad,_ she thought and gave him an understanding smile. "It's okay, really. It's natural for you to wonder."

He nodded in general agreement. "So tomorrow? I'll swing by with Sven and the sled around ten and we'll head into town?"

"Sure. That sounds good," Anna said. She'd already met Sven, Kristoff's reindeer, when he'd taken his sled to school after a particularly snowy night last week. Anna had arrived upset because apparently six inches of snow overnight wasn't enough to warrant a snow day in Alaska, but her moods were lifted when she caught Kristoff talking to his pet in the parking lot. After she got over her shock at the novelty of an Alaskan teenager taking a reindeer pulled sled to school, she teased him about it most of the day ( _"Ah, the smell makes so much sense now, Sir Reindeer Whisperer")_.

"Cool! It's a da… plan… It's a plan then," Kristoff rambled.

"Yeah," Anna replied. "Um… Kristoff?"

"Yeah?"

"Could I get my hand back now?"

"Oh gosh! Yeah, sorry," he said and let go. A deep red hue painted itself underneath the light dusting of freckles he had across his nose.

_Huh? I never noticed them before. They're a lot like Elsa's freckles,_ Anna thought as she sat down at her usual desk. She felt eyes on her though, and looked over to see Rapunzel giving her a calculating look.

"What's up, Raps?"

"Nothing," Rapunzel said rather shortly before she opened her mouth again like she was going to say more. Instead, though, she just shook her head and looked away from Anna; opening up her text book to a random page and staring down at it.

_Strange,_ Anna mused. Sure, she didn't know Rapunzel long, but the behavior seemed very out of character. Before she could ask Rapunzel if she was sure it was nothing, their teacher called for attention. Throughout the entire lesson, she caught Rapunzel staring at her with a pinched sort of look on her face, but every time Anna whispered a quiet 'what is it,' Rapunzel would just respond with a shake of her head.

"Okay, what's going on in that head of yours?" Anna asked when they finally left their Biology class and made their way to the Choir room.

"Whatever do you mean?" Rapunzel responded with false lightness, refusing to look Anna in the face.

"You know exactly what I mean," Anna challenged.

"Nope. Haven't a clue," the other girl remained steadfast, but Anna would not have any of it. She quickly stepped in front of the blonde and crossed her arms, then cocked one eyebrow when that elicited no response. After a beat, Rapunzel let out a sigh. "Fine. I just… didn't realize you and Kristoff were becoming a thing."

Anna blinked several times. "Wait, what?"

"You," Rapunzel said, gesturing in her general direction while nodding her head back in the direction of their Biology class. "And the pungent reindeer king. I'm just surprised is all. I know we only just met a couple weeks ago, but I didn't think he was your…"

"My what?"

"Type?" Rapunzel tried tentatively, eyes glued to the patterned floor.

"My type?" Anna said, still genuinely confused.

"Well, yeah. I thought that maybe you liked… that you were…" Rapunzel scuffed her snow boot on the linoleum floor and shook her head before meeting Anna's eyes. "You know what? It doesn't matter. So you and Kristoff?"

"There's nothing between Kristoff and me."

"That's not what it looked like."

"Trust me. He's just a friend," Anna said adamantly. The last thing Anna wanted, even if she was pretty sure she didn't have a shot, was for Rapunzel to tell Elsa that Anna was into Kristoff _(maybe my life is like a teen TV drama)._ "He invited me to go Halloween costume shopping with him and the Nova twins tomorrow. Something about a party."

"Oh!" Rapunzel brightened up immediately and started bouncing on her toes. "I was going to invite you myself. Please say you're coming! You really should start getting out more."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Anna mumbled indignantly as she turned around and they continued on their way.

"Well, that's because it's the truth," Rapunzel said through a laugh. "I haven't seen you speak much to anyone else besides myself and those you eat lunch with."

"I talk to... people," Anna said matter-of-factly.

"Sure, of course you do," Rapunzel said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But really, it's a great time; party of the year. Though, _you've_ probably been to some crazy parties growing up in California."

"First of all, since I already had to explain this to Kristoff, what you see on TV is not really an accurate representation of what a typical California high schooler's life is like," Anna said, rolling her eyes.

"Is there a second of all?"

"Yes. Second of all... I've never actually been to a party," Anna said quickly as she sat down in her seat amongst the other sopranos. When Rapunzel stood frozen in front of her, mouth wide open, Anna just shrugged. "I started high school a year younger than everyone else. The other kids didn't necessarily want me hanging around. Plus, my mom is a little overprotective."

A gross understatement.

"Well, then all the more reason you should come," Rapunzel said definitively. "I can help you figure something out to tell your mom if you need."

"I don't think that's nece-"

"We'll tell her it's a sleepover! Which _technically_ won't be a lie. Eugene lives right next door so the party will kind of be in my backyard too," Rapunzel continued as if Anna hadn't said anything. She started mumbling something about pillow forts and baking cookies while pulling out her sheet music.

"She'll insist on meeting your parents first," Anna tried interrupting again. That worked. Rapunzel looked at her incredulously. "I told you. She's overprotective."

"Okay, well that shouldn't be a problem. It'll work out," Rapunzel whispered as their choir teacher started their warm ups. "Just buy a costume tomorrow and I'll take care of the rest."

Anna nodded as she did her routine, surreptitious (at least she hoped it was) scan of the room to chance a glance at Elsa, but her usual seat was empty. She searched more thoroughly throughout the entire sopralto section, but it was short of one platinum blonde female.

"Where's Elsa? I thought I saw her at lunch and just before homeroom?" she whispered between breathing exercises.

Rapunzel turned and frowned when she also didn't spot her cousin. "I don't know. She's supposed to give me a ride home today."

Anna had difficulty paying attention throughout the entire class. It was a good thing it was choir, there really wasn't material she was missing. More than once, Rapunzel reached over and turned her page for her when she failed to on her own so she knew she was totally out of it. Where was Elsa? She kept thinking about the last time she'd seen her, outside of the AP Bio lab just before the last period. The look on her face kept flashing in Anna's mind for some reason. There was shock for sure, and maybe a little anger. It didn't really make sense, but those were expressions that Anna was used to on Elsa - they were the only two looks the blonde ever really gave her aside from one of complete passivity.

But there was something else this time too, she just couldn't pinpoint it. If she didn't know any better, she would have said Elsa looked… Hurt? But why? And where the hell was she?

Finally, mercifully, the bell rang and released them for the day. And Elsa still hadn't shown up for class.

"Do you think she got sick? Or maybe one of her sisters called and she had to leave suddenly?"

"I don't know," Rapunzel said with worry as they made their way toward the front exit of the school. She pulled out her phone to check for messages. "Elsa doesn't really get sick, and she would have told me if some family emergency came up."

"That's true. Maybe she got held back by another teacher?" Anna said, stepping outside and pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. As soon as she hit that top step, she felt the unmistakable magnetic pull and her head snapped up. She saw Elsa leaning against her arctic white Audi wearing only a light blue, pullover hooded sweater as outerwear. "Or maybe she just decided to skip class?"

"That doesn't sound like Elsa," Rapunzel started to say as she stopped next to Anna. She frowned when she finally spotted her cousin, who seemed to be scrolling absently on her phone, and started mumbling to herself. "That punk. Doesn't text me when she clearly has her phone and just leaves me to worry."

Anna left Raps to her personal venting session and headed off toward her house. She had just made it to the sidewalk along the front of the school when she heard her friend shout to her.

"See ya later, Anna," Rapunzel called. "Pick out a good costume."

Anna waved at Rapunzel who was now standing next to Elsa and her car on the opposite side of the parking lot. As she turned back toward the direction of home, a sudden gust of wind blew the beanie off her head. On instinct, Anna stepped off the curb to try to grab it and her heart stopped when the blaring horn of an oncoming truck caught her attention.

_That's it. I'm a goner,_ she thought when she felt something suddenly tug her backward.

The next thing she knew, she was on her back staring up at the grey, overcast sky. Before Anna could even blink or register what had happened, the face of an angel was looming above her. And she was angry.

"What the hell were you thinking?" The angel shouted down at her. Elsa grabbed Anna by the backpack straps and with surprising strength, pulled Anna up to her feet. "Watch where you're walking next time."

"S-sorry," Anna said. Her first thought was how the color of Elsa's sweater made her eyes an impossibly bright shade of blue. Then she stared at the blonde in confusion. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Rapunzel still across the parking lot next to Elsa's car, a look of complete horror on her face. _How the hell did Elsa make it all the way over here in time?_

"Just be more careful," Elsa spat. Anna didn't understand why Elsa was so angry. She was about to ask when -

"Anna!" She heard someone call her name and turned to see Kristoff running in their direction. "Are you okay? That looked like a close call."

"I… umm..." Anna couldn't find the words. Her eyes traveled back to meet Elsa's and she saw that same look that she'd observed after lunch. She still couldn't decipher it. Was it betrayal?

"Your girlfriend is fine," Elsa said to Kristoff through gritted teeth. An obvious blush bloomed across his cheeks, and it seemed to just fuel Elsa's ire. "Take better care of her next time."

"We're not…" Anna began, but Elsa had already turned away and walked back over to her car post haste. She watched as Elsa ignored whatever Rapunzel had said to her and they both got into the car and zoomed away.

' _What the hell just happened?_ ' was the only thought that kept running through her head as she made the frigid walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As always - thank you for reading, and thank you to my BETA (my sister from another mister)


	4. The Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

" _No."_

" _But, mom, it's perfectly safe-"_

" _Absolutely not," Iduna repeated._

" _I assure you, ma'am… uhh… Mrs?... Doctor! Dr. North," Kristoff stumbled over his words under the intense gaze from Anna's mother. "I'll go slow and be as safe as possible. Sven is perfectly capable. You can almost say that we're of one mind."_

_He gave Iduna a lopsided sort of grin and held up a helmet he'd brought along just in case since Anna had mentioned that her mother was extremely protective. Iduna returned his bright smile with an even colder glare._

" _Young man, that is not at all reassuring."_

_Anna had one more weapon up her sleeve. It had a significant success rate, but she tried not to use it unless absolutely necessary for fear that, should she employ it too often, it would lose effectiveness from overuse. She tried to think back to when she'd last wielded this excalibur level weapon of manipulation and couldn't immediately recall, so she decided it was long ago enough to unsheathe it again._

" _Mama, please?" Anna asked, giving her mom the subtlest of puppy-dog eyes that she could. It would not help to over-do it. "You said that I should try building a life here, and I am. I really am trying, Mama."_

_Her mother turned her steely gaze to her and Anna feared for a moment that the second use of 'Mama' tipped her off, but then her mother's eyes softened. Anna knew then that she had her, all she had to do was to wait for her mother to decide upon her terms. She just hoped that Kristoff wouldn't ruin it by opening his mouth too soon, but their patience eventually paid off._

" _You will wear this helmet any time you are in the sled," Iduna said, taking the motorcycle helmet from Kristoff and handing it to Anna. "Even when it's not moving._ Even _if that reindeer isn't hooked up to it. You will remain seated whenever the sled is in motion. You will call me_ before _you leave anywhere in this sled_ and _when you arrive at your destination."_

_Iduna paused and raised an eyebrow at Anna. She quickly nodded in agreement and slid the helmet onto her head to emphasize her compliance which seemed to appease her mother._

" _And you," Iduna continued, turning her attention to Kristoff. "You will keep this sled and your reindeer to a walk. Not a trot, not a canter, and most certainly not a gallop. Am I understood?"_

" _Ye-yes, ma'am. C-completely understood," Kristoff stammered in reply._

" _Should I get the feeling that anything is amiss - maybe I feel you've gotten somewhere too quickly or not quickly enough or my mother's intuition tells me you've taken some dangerous path - anything_ at all, _" she said, emphasizing those final two words before turning back to Anna. "I will find you, drag you back home, and you will not be going anywhere until Christmas."_

" _Got it! Helmet, toosh in seat, take it slow, call you," Anna said, raising a finger with each demand she listed. "I won't let you down."_

_At that, her mother's stern expression completely melted away, a soft smile gracing her lips as she observed her daughter. Iduna gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "You never do, my darling."_

_She started back toward the house and the two teens began to silently celebrate their victory, but they had to quickly feign composure when Iduna turned back around with all the grace and command of a queen. She studied them both for a moment before settling her attention one more time on the blonde boy._

" _Should any harm befall my daughter, I will hold you personally responsible." Iduna gave Kristoff another stern glare that made the large teen feel extremely small and vulnerable. She felt satisfied when Kristoff visibly gulped under her scrutiny, and couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face when she turned on her heel to head back inside. She had just reached the top of their small porch when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Iduna fully smiled when she saw the name on the screen. "Hello, little duck?"_

" _We're leaving the house now, Mama," Anna said and waved as Iduna turned back around to look at them. "I'll call you when we get to the store."_

" _Very good," Iduna said, a proud little chuckle slipping out at knowing Anna had taken her terms and conditions seriously. She was very aware of the game Anna was playing earlier (even if Anna thought she'd succeeded at manipulating her. Though, if she really admitted it, her daughter kind of did), but she knew her daughter only tried it when something was very important to her. This seemed harmless enough to capitulate on. "Be safe, my darling. I love you."_

" _I love you too! And, mom?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Thank you," she said and waved once more to her mom before they both hung up._

_Kristoff let out an extremely loud sigh once they finally rounded the corner. "I have never been so terrified in my life. And I've been face to face with a bear."_

" _What were you doing facing off with a bear?" Anna asked in complete shock._

" _That's a long story for another time," was all he said. "Anyway, can you text the twins and let them know we'll be a few minutes late? I did not account for needing to convince your mom or having to keep Sven this slow. I don't know the difference between a trot and a gallop, but I'm not taking any chances of getting on your mom's bad side."_

* * *

**01 November 2019**

Anna folded up the red cloak and packed it into her overnight bag. When Honeymaren had first held it out to her last Saturday as a costume suggestion, she was hesitant at first to even consider it. The character seemed a little too on the nose, but when she tried it on, she had to agree with Honeymaren that it was perfect. She didn't even need to try on any of the other costumes she'd picked out.

After almost getting hit by that car, and subsequently being saved by the ever fickle Elsa, Anna had made the rest of the journey home with no further incident, and she spent a better part of that afternoon trying to make sense of Elsa's behavior throughout the week. When the blonde had given her a ride home from the Institute that one day, Anna could have sworn there was something there, some sort of spark, and it gave her hope; however, come the next school day, it was like Elsa's attitude grew icier over the one day in between. These past two weeks since the close call with the truck was more of the same cold-shoulder, which made working together in their chemistry experiments difficult. They continually bumped into each other, spilling the contents of their beakers, and generally mishandling laboratory equipment to the point that their teacher moved his chair in order to keep them in his sights at all times. To say the least - Anna found the whole situation frustrating.

 _Maybe I'll ask Raps this weekend what to do about it_ , Anna thought. She was spending both Friday and Saturday night at Rapunzel's house, to her genuine surprise. Anna had been shocked when her mother came home on Monday and told her that she'd had lunch with Rapunzel's mother that afternoon. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when Iduna told her that she'd agreed to allow Anna to stay the weekend at the Corona's home. Not just one night - the _entire weekend._

" _My mom can't stop talking about yours. Dad's getting a little jealous_ ," Rapunzel had said with a laugh when she told Anna about their mothers' impromptu lunch date the next day at school. When Raps told her mother, Arianna, about Anna's situation, she had agreed to make friends with Iduna without hesitation, and surprised the scientist at her work the very next day. Apparently, the two women had hit it off immediately and had lunch together two more times just this week.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Ready to go, little duck?" Her mother asked, leaning into her open doorway.

"I think so," she responded, tapping her chin in thought.

"You packed your toothbrush? (nod) Retainer? (another nod) Extra undies?"

"Mom!"

"Okay," Iduna said with a laugh as she picked up the duffle bag.

Her mother was taking her to school today. Since Anna was going straight to Rapunzel's house, she asked her mom for a ride instead of walking as usual so that she wouldn't have to lug her overnight bag. It definitely _wasn't_ so that Anna could spend that little extra time with her. _Seriously_ , it wasn't. It's not like she hadn't been to a sleepover before. Sure, this was the first time she'd be away for more than one night. _Big deal._ And yeah, her mom often picked her up early from most of the slumber parties she'd been invited to as a kid because she couldn't stop crying. But this wasn't about any of that. This was just simply Anna being lazy…

 _Okay yeah, fine! So I'm nervous to be away from mom for so long, but dang it - I'm a high school Junior now. I'll be just fine,_ Anna chastised herself. _I'm so ready. More than that, really. I was born ready! What's the worst thing that could happen anyway? There's nothing to be worried ab-_

"You're going to be fine, Anna," her mother said softly.

Anna looked up and noticed that they were already parked in front of the school. The drive was far too short, but her mother's expression was so reassuring that Anna couldn't help but believe her. Well, at least she was _really trying_ to believe her.

"You're sure you're not going to miss me too much?"

"Of course I will miss you, but we'll both manage," Iduna insisted.

"Because if you do… miss me too much, that is… if you do, I could always come home tomorrow instead of Sunday morning. It's not that -"

"Anna," Iduna interrupted in a motherly tone so comforting it immediately put her at ease. "Ari and I have exchanged all the possible numbers and addresses in case of emergencies. There's really nothing to worry about. You're going to have a great time. Plus, I gave you a cell phone for a reason. You can always call me if you need me. Say the word, and I'll rush right over."

"Okay," Anna said and then gave her mom a shy smile. "It's okay if I miss you though?"

"I would be offended if you didn't," Iduna said and gave her a kiss on the head. "Now go or you'll make us both late."

* * *

"Mom! We're home!" Rapunzel shouted when they entered the great room of her home after school. Her boyfriend and next door neighbor, Eugene (which, Anna learned, was the actual given name of Flynn - Senior, captain of the Boys Varsity Hockey and Lacrosse teams, and host of tonight's Halloween party), had given them a ride home.

A woman glided down the curving staircase with such grace and poise that Anna could have mistaken her for royalty. Despite her hair being a bold chestnut color, there was no mistaking that this was Rapunzel's mother. Aside from her golden yellow hair, Raps was such an exact replica of her mother it was astounding.

"Hello, girls," she said and hugged both teens when she reached them. "Forgive me, Anna, if that was a bit forward. I've heard so much about you from Rapunzel and Iduna that I feel like I already know you."

"Not at all. I'm a hugger," Anna said with a smile. Arianna Corona exuded a motherly aura that quickly put Anna at ease. "Thank you so much for having me this weekend, Mrs. Corona."

"Oh, darling! Please call me Auntie Ari," she said insistently. "Your mother and I are becoming quick friends -"

"That's an understatement," Rapunzel whispered.

"And Rapunzel has already grown fond of you," Arianna continued without acknowledging her daughter's comment. "Liv also implied that I'll probably see you around a lot as well so let's just skip the formalities."

That last part caught Anna's attention most. "Liv? Olivia Aren? Why would she say you'd see me a lot?"

"Oh, she said that you and Elsa -"

"Anna!" Rapunzel interrupted her mother again so loudly that the other two jumped. "Didn't you say your mom gave you a book to lend to my mom?"

"Oh yeah," Anna said and pulled off her backpack, quickly retrieving the book and handing it to Arianna. "What were you say-"

"Come on," Rapunzel interrupted once more and still louder than necessary. Her mother raised an eyebrow at her, but Raps just grabbed Anna's bag and started up the stairs. "Let's get your stuff up and I'll give you a tour."

"Dinner will be ready at six. Then you two can go out for Halloween," Arianna said as she walked away reading the dust cover of the book Anna gave her.

"What was all that about?" Anna asked once they reached Rapunzel's bedroom.

"What was all what about?" she asked back with exaggerated innocence.

"You were being weird."

"I was not," Rapunzel said. "I just… Um… Well, I know my mom. If I didn't stop her then, she'd just keep talking. Trust me, it's better that we got out of there quicker or it would never end."

Anna wasn't sure if she believed her, but eventually decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She didn't know Mrs. Corona… Auntie Ari ( _gee, that would take getting used to_ ) very well yet so she had nothing to compare the behavior to. Anna decided to just drop it and took a cursory glance around Rapunzel's room.

"Wow! Did you paint this?" Anna asked in awe as she took in a giant mural of a radiant sun on the eastern wall of Rapunzel's room. It was vibrant and flowing, the swirling strokes of color creating such a fluidity Anna had to blink several times to ensure it wasn't magically moving.

"Yup! I painted this one in my room because I love the sunshine, but we don't always get a lot of it here in Arendelle. It's nice to have one to wake up to every morning," Rapunzel explained. "There's a few walls around the house that I've done. Come on, I'll show you."

The Coronas' home was airy and beautiful, not to mention _very_ large. Anna could tell from the outside that it was big when they'd pulled up to it, but it didn't prepare her for what she found within. Not only was there just about every room you can think of putting in a house (and then some), but the vaulted ceilings and crown moldings made it seem even larger.

"Your home is beautiful, Auntie Ari," Anna said when they sat down for dinner later that night. "You have exquisite taste."

"You are such a dear, little one," Rapunzel's mother responded, placing a gentle hand on Anna's shoulder as she set down a plate of roasted carrots on the table, and then took her seat next to her husband.

* * *

"Hey, Little Red," Kristoff said when he spotted her. The Nova twins waved to her from behind him before they headed off to grab a drink.

"Don't call me 'Little Red.' I have an actual name, you know?" she said with a roll of her eyes. When he smirked and opened his mouth to retort, she cut him off. "And it's not 'Feisty Pants.' Anyway, no Sven tonight?"

"Nah, I don't drink and steer a reindeer pulled sled," he replied in an overly proper sort of voice. "That would be irresponsible."

"My mother isn't here. You don't have to keep trying to impress her," Anna laughed and handed Kristoff the red cup she'd grabbed for him. His was filled with beer (he just seemed like a beer person). Hers was filled with punch (just normal punch). "So this is what a party looks like."

"Yup! Pretty cool, huh?"

It certainly was. They were in a small clearing a couple hundred meters into the woods behind Rapunzel and Eugene's houses. Eugene had gotten his buddies to help put up tons of lights around the trees and start up a decent bonfire in the center to keep everyone warm. It seemed most of the upperclassmen from school were here along with a good number of kids Anna recognized as mostly Sophomores and some Freshmen. She scanned the area several times and was disappointed when her searches came up short of a certain someone.

"Is it?"

Anna blinked several times. "What?"

"I asked if your cloak was keeping you warm enough," Kristoff repeated, a worried look on his face. "Are you alright, Anna?"

"Yeah. No, yeah - I'm good. Just spaced out for a second," Anna said quickly. "And yes, I'm warm enough. If I get too cold, I'll just go grab my coat from Raps' house."

"Okay," Kristoff said. An awkward silence fell between them. Kristoff fiddled with the toy axe tucked in his belt as part of his lumberjack costume. After a moment, he seemed to steel himself with a little courage. "So I was wondering… I mean, we seem to get along… Because, well you're cool and I thought, maybe you… that you and I might -"

A sudden loud cheering interrupted whatever it was that Kristoff was trying to say and they both turned toward a large group standing around one of the kegs. Eugene was being held upside down over it by a couple of the other guys from the hockey team, the hose hanging out of his mouth.

"CHUG CHUG CHUG!" The crowd was chanting. Anna could see Rapunzel several feet away with a couple of the other girls from the cheerleading squad. She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend before turning back to her friends. Taking advantage of the distraction, Anna downed her punch, told Kristoff she was going to grab a refill, and fled before he could finish saying what she was afraid he was trying to say.

The chilly air washed over her as she exited the warm radius surrounding the fire and made her way over to the plethora of coolers filled with drinks and packed tables of snacks and candy that was thoughtfully placed far enough from the heat. She was one of the few over at the refreshments at the moment, none of those refilling their red Solo cups or grabbing a handful of candy were anyone she recognized from her classes. She was happy for the reprieve though. It hadn't taken long tonight for her to realize that she might not be one for this typical form of high schooler debauchery.

As Anna turned to head back in the direction of the party, something silvery, moving quickly through the trees on the far side of the clearing caught her eye. She squinted in that direction, but didn't see anything. Just as she was about to dismiss it as a trick of the light, she saw it once more. Curiosity got the better of her and she went to investigate. When she crossed the tree-line, she looked back at the party. The bonfire was bright enough that she was confident she'd find her way back to it and continued to follow the streak of silvery white that darted ahead of her.

 _This is completely insane, Anna. Turn around now and go back to the party,_ she thought, but kept moving forward for some reason. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the streak vanished. Anna looked all around, but she couldn't find any trace of it. Shrugging, she turned to head back in the direction of the yellow glow of firelight in the distance when the world around her was thrown into chaos. The wind howled in her ears and the trees swayed precariously around her. Anna pulled on her hood to protect her face from the leaves and dust that kicked up in the wind as she began the trek back.

The gale made it difficult to traverse the wooded area, blowing debris along her path and causing her to turn around multiple times. As she moved carefully over fallen branches, a loud cracking sound from just in front of her caught her attention. She looked up just in time to see a large tree splitting along its base and tilting toward her. Before she could even consider which way to run as the tree began toppling quickly in her direction, a force smashed into her side and sent her careening to the ground.

As suddenly as it had begun, the wind stopped and the world came to a standstill. The leaves settled around her and the howling of the wind in her ears morphed into the howling of a canine. Anna turned over from her prone position to see a stark white wolf calling toward the moon only a few yards away from her.

"Good, wolfie... Hi, I'm Anna. Please, don't eat me," she said timidly, holding up her hands in front of her in hopes the wolf would sense she meant it no harm. She quickly glanced all around her and panicked when she realized she'd lost sight of the bonfire's distant glow in the confusion of the storm. Anna jumped when the wolf started howling again.

 _Great! Just great… I'm lost in the woods and about to get eaten by a wolf all while dressed as Little Red Riding Hood,_ she lamented internally. _This is totally crazy. It's like my life is some ridiculous YA novel or an overly ambitious fanfiction…_

And then she felt it - that tug; the now familiar, now comforting tug. An inexplicable calm came over her.

"Elsa?" she whispered into the still night as she pulled off the hood from her head.

And like an ethereal vision, Elsa slowly appeared from behind the big, white wolf with a smaller, much fluffier (though equally as pure white) dog following closely behind her. She placed a pale hand on the wolf's head, scratching just behind its ear, and the previously fierce looking animal let its tongue loll out of its mouth in obvious delight.

"Anna? What are you doing all the way out here?" Elsa asked. It was silent for a while as Anna tried to gather her thoughts. Elsa's expression grew more and more concerned with each passing moment. "Are you okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine…" she answered. That's when she realized what she must have looked like - crumpled slightly on the ground, a freshly fallen tree just feet away from her. She quickly got to her feet and brushed herself off. "I was at Flynn's party. I thought I saw something in the woods and followed it... which in hindsight was extremely misguided, but twenty-twenty vision is backwards… Wait, that's not the saying… Anyway, I kind of got a little turned around. Did you get caught in that wind too?"

Elsa furrowed her brow in confusion and shook her head before an amused smirk pulled at the left side of her mouth, revealing that ever elusive dimple just visible under the light of the full moon. "You know it's only a costume? You don't have to play the part."

"Uh… huh?" were the only sounds Anna seemed capable of articulating. Elsa gestured to Anna's outfit and chuckled. _Was she… Is she_ teasing _me?_ Anna shook the thought from her head. "Ha… um. Yeah… kind of ironic."

"Just a little," Elsa responded, absently playing with her necklace, then she gave Anna a smile before she suddenly thought better of it and the usual stony mask of the Ice Queen replaced it, arms falling to her sides. Anna couldn't help but feel disappointed when she noticed the change in demeanor, but Elsa continued speaking before she could make the mistake of saying something about it. "Come on. I'll take you back."

Elsa started off around the fallen tree, the two white canines obediently following behind her and Anna quickly rounded the tree to catch up. She fell into pace with the blonde at (what she hoped was) an appropriate distance. Anna couldn't help but glance at her every few steps and hoped that Elsa didn't notice.

"What were you doing out here?" Anna asked, unable to take the silence any longer than a few minutes of walking.

"My house is just beyond that tree line," Elsa said, pointing behind her. Now that Anna didn't feel like her life was in immediate danger, she could see the twinkling of lights from a house not too far from where they were. "I was taking Olaf and Marshmallow for a walk."

"Let me guess - Olaf?" Anna said, pointing at what she believed was an arctic wolf before pointing it at the friendlier looking, ball of white fluff. "And Marshmallow?"

"The opposite."

"What?! You mean to tell me that Marshmallow _isn't_ the big poof, but instead it's the fierce arctic wolf?" Anna asked incredulously.

"Liv has a weird sense of humor," Elsa explained with a shrug.

"Oh," Anna said, unsure if there was a more appropriate response. For some reason, that seemed to make a lot of sense.

"And Marshmallow isn't an arctic wolf. He's a Northern Inuit dog. Olaf is a Samoyed-Pom mix."

Anna chuckled, amused. "You could have just called them Wolfy White Dog and Fluffy White Dog… I wouldn't have known the difference."

"Your mom works with animals," Elsa deadpanned, confusion clear in her eyes.

" _Sea_ animals," Anna clarified. "I know nothing about dog breeds. All I know is that they're all cute."

As if to emphasize Anna's statement, Marshmallow chose that moment to sit right in front of Anna, blocking her path and causing her to stop. He tilted his head at her and she smiled, leaning down and scratching under his chin. Everything that happened since she'd left the party and entered the woods (the silver streak, its quickness through the dense thicket, the sudden force that knocked her down) finally made sense to her in an instant.

"Thanks for pushing me out of the way of that tree, Marshmallow," she said as he looked at her with inky black eyes. Anna shifted her hand to just below his ear and the big, intimidating creature let out a low, satisfied growl as his leg started thumping quickly on the dirt floor causing Anna to giggle in amusement. "That's a good boy."

After a final pat on his head, Anna straightened back up and found Elsa looking at her in shock, mouth slightly parted and her blue eyes, which were impossibly bright in the darkened woods, were wide and unblinking.

 _Damn, she's beautiful_ , Anna thought. "Um… something wrong, Elsa?"

The blonde blinked several times before it seemed to register that she'd been staring. If it weren't so dark, Anna would have bet that the slight color on Elsa's pale cheeks was a blush. There was not enough light to be sure though ( _curse the night time_ ).

"No, it's just… Marshmallow doesn't usually warm up to new people so fast. Even Liv has trouble bonding with him sometimes. It's just… surprising."

"I dunno. He seems friendly to me," Anna said as Marshmallow started nudging her hand with his cold, wet nose for more pets. She gave in pretty quickly and looked at him. In the most cutesy voice she could muster, she said, "You're da sweetest. Isn't that right, Marsh?"

Anna's eyes darted back to Elsa and she noticed that the girl was staring at her again. She couldn't help but smirk. She gathered up all her courage and was about to make a flirty comment when a loud crashing sound startled the girls and froze them on the spot. It sounded like it was getting closer. Anna felt something cold grab her and looked down to see a pale hand wrapped around her wrist as Elsa put herself between Anna and whatever was thundering toward them. She heard Marshmallow growling lowly by her side, his hackles raised.

"Annaaaa!" they heard a voice calling from the direction of the noise.

"Kristoff?" Anna called, relief flooding through her as the boy in the lumberjack costume and not something deadly came into view. Disappointment quickly replaced the relief, though, when she felt Elsa let go of her hand and quickly step away. Before she could do something about it, Kristoff took her by the shoulders and gave her a once over.

"Thank goodness. I got worried when you didn't come back and no one seemed to know where you were," Kristoff said before letting her go.

Kristoff continued to ramble on about something, but Anna wasn't paying very much attention though. She was looking at Elsa as she held onto Marshmallow's collar. The big dog was staring daggers at the newcomer, but it was nothing compared to the ice cold stare that Elsa had on.

"I'm just glad I found you -"

That caught her attention. "How did you find me?"

"An owl told me."

"You mean a little birdie?" Anna said, finally giving him her full attention. She grinned at his misuse of the idiom.

"Nah, it was a big owl. Great, snowy one. Real pretentious too," Kristoff said before muttering to himself. "Real stupid accent."

That got Anna laughing. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Heh, I guess it is pretty crazy sounding. Anyway - we should get back, feisty pants. Rapunzel seemed worried," he said and put a hand on her shoulder, but immediately pulled it back when a loud bark made him jump.

"Easy, Marshmallow," Elsa's cool voice said and made a quick motion with her hand which must have meant 'sit' as that's when both dogs immediately did. The larger pup's low growling did not cease though. Elsa fixed her gaze on the boy. "Can I trust you to find your way back, Christopher?"

"Uh… Hey, Elsa. Didn't see you there… But yeah, I know the woods. We'll be fine… And it's Kristoff."

"Excuse me?"

"My name… It's Kristoff, not Christopher…" he said. "We've had classes together since the seventh grade."

"Huh… I apologize," Elsa said before she turned back to Anna. "Well, since your boyfriend is here now, I'm going to head home. Don't wander around the woods at night anymore, Little Red."

And before Anna could thank her or correct her about the assumption regarding her relationship with Kristoff, Elsa was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! And thanks to my BETA (my soul sista).


	5. The River

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**02 November 2019**

" _Don't wander around the woods at night anymore, Little Red."_

Anna did not get much sleep last night. Like… at all. And it wasn't even for the reason she thought she might not sleep. Because not sleeping well in a house that wasn't hers far away from her mother was not an unfamiliar situation for Anna. No - she just couldn't get Elsa's voice out of her head.

When Kristoff called her 'Little Red' at the beginning of the night, it made her uncomfortable. It was a nickname multiple people have tried to use on her throughout her life and one that never stuck (mostly because she hated it). Yeah sure, she knew he said it because it was her costume, but she wanted to cut that nickname off before it could take hold (not that her attempts at stopping the 'feisty pants' name had worked at all.)

But when Elsa called her 'Little Red' before walking away it made her breath hitch. It was inexplicable and unprecedented. She couldn't even gather her wits enough to shout after her. There were so many things she should have said at that moment. Anna should have thanked her for saving her from getting run over by a car. Then thanked her again for escorting her back to Rapunzel's house. And then told her that she was _not_ Kristoff's girlfriend.

But she didn't get the chance.

Elsa's behavior was also driving her crazy. Most of the time and especially at school, Elsa was cold and distant. Anna had come to the conclusion multiple times that the blonde found her presence objectionable. But then there were the times that Elsa would be the complete opposite. Last night in the woods and that one time being driven home by her, Anna was certain that there was something else there. If Anna wasn't certain that she was just projecting, she might even think Elsa was (dare she even think it?) flirting with her.

 _No, that's impossible_ , Anna thought. _She can't stand you… I can't get a read on this situation. Ugh!_

And it was completely frustrating

"What's wrong?"

Anna's eyes popped open and she saw Rapunzel staring down at her from her place on her bed. Anna sat up on the twin trundle bed she was lying on. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I've been up reading since like 7:15. I thought you were still asleep," Raps said. Anna only nodded in response. If she didn't open her mouth, maybe Rapunzel would forget her question.

"So what's wrong?"

 _Drats_. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

"You said, 'ugh.'"

 _Curses. You need to stop doing that,_ she thought. Anna always had trouble keeping her inner thoughts as inner thoughts. They often, inadvertently, became outer thoughts.

"Oh… it's nothing. Just thinking about last night," Anna said.

"Right! You said you'd tell me where you went. I got worried when you disappeared, you know?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I followed a dog that I saw and then got a little lost in the woods. No big deal," Anna said. It wasn't a complete lie, but hopefully enough to keep Rapunzel from asking too many questions.

"And that's all?" Rapunzel pressed.

 _Apparently not._ "What else would there be?"

"You tell me. Because I got a text from Elsa last night asking if you made it back okay," Rapunzel said with an 'I caught you' sort of grin. She waited for Anna to say something, but the ginger girl was still trying to process the fact that Elsa had checked up on her. Raps decided to save her from her thoughts. "Hey, we don't have to talk about it right now. I've got a bunch of things planned for today! Come on - I usually start off up in the studio. Sometimes I wake up with an idea for a new painting and I need to get it down."

* * *

"Wait - Marshmallow let you _pet_ him?" Rapunzel said incredulously. She was strumming absently on a guitar while they lounged in one of the several living rooms throughout the stately manor. This one housed most of the many instruments Rapunzel apparently played. The blonde explained that after a family tragedy when she was a kid, her mother was reluctant to let her out of the house much aside from going over to her cousins' place so Auntie Ari had come up with a bunch of hobbies to keep the energetic girl occupied.

"Yeah," Anna said. "If Elsa hadn't shown up, I might have kept him. You know… after I realized he wasn't going to devour me."

"Oh, Marshmallow is all bark," Rapunzel said dismissively, but after a moment she caught this gleam in her eye and burst out laughing. Anna stared at her in confusion because she couldn't figure out what was remotely funny. Rapunzel sputtered through her laughter, "Oh… my god… Liv is going to be… so upset."

Anna couldn't help but giggle along. Her friend's complete breakdown into laughter was infectious. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing really," Rapunzel said after she finally stopped laughing long enough to catch her breath. "It's just… Liv wants Marshmallow to love her _so much_ , but he's indifferent toward her most of the time. It's quite sad, but totally hilarious at the same time. She's going to be so jealous if she learns you've already won him over."

"Who did Anna win over?" Arianna said when she found the girls.

"Marshmallow," Rapunzel answered immediately.

"Oh, that's not very surprising," her mother said, but didn't expand on her comment. "I'm headed out, girls. There's a pizza on the way for lunch. I have a few errands to run and then I'm meeting Iduna later for some coffee. Are you still planning on going to the Park, Rapunzel?"

"Yeah," Rapunzel said. "I wanted to show Anna more of Arendelle besides the town center and the school."

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Just be careful and make sure to check in with your father when you get there."

* * *

After lunch, they headed out from the back of the house, but veered off to the right of the clearing Flynn had used for the Halloween party last night. Raps led her to a trail she'd overlooked in the dark. Large conifers lined the sides of the well worn dirt path and the rare, sunny day gave Anna the opportunity to actually appreciate the woods around them. Last night, the glow from the full moon bathed the world in a cold light and lengthened the shadows into ominous shapes. Under the light of the sun, though, the beauty of nature radiated around her.

"You've got a nature preserve in your backyard?" Anna asked as she walked next to Rapunzel. Anna carried a small, insulated backpack that Rapunzel had crammed water and fruit into before they left. Rapunzel on the other hand, was carrying a much larger pack on her back that looked a great deal heavier than what Anna had.

"Mmhm. Corona Nature Park and Wildlife Reservation," Rapunzel said. "It's a bit of a mouthful, but the land has been under our family's care since the first settlers came to this island hundreds of years ago. It spans over 200 thousand acres, so almost fifty percent of the island."

"If your family owns nearly half the island, why is it called Arendelle?"

"Well the Aren family settled here first," the blonde explained. "And while our family tends to the Park and ensures that the natural beauty of the island is preserved, the Aren family created this town. They're the ones that built this place from nothing and they're the ones that have continued to lead Arendelle into the prosperous little island that it is. An Aren has been the Mayor since its founding. Mostly likely, it'll continue to be that way for many generations to come.

"Which is all fine by me. I wouldn't want to be responsible for the success of our entire island. I know I'll be much happier watching over the animals and the habitat here," Raps continued, gesturing to the forest around her. "I don't really envy Elsa's future."

"Surely she could choose to do whatever she wants?" Anna asked. She couldn't imagine not having a say in what her future was.

"Kai would never make her do anything she didn't want to, but I know Elsa. She sees it as her duty. There's no way she'll back down from it."

Rapunzel had been sharing little details about Elsa all day (like how her favorite color was the icy blue found between the cracks of a glacier or how when they were kids they would take turns creating distractions in the house so the other could sneak chocolate from the pantry). With each new discovery, Anna found herself more and more intrigued. She just wished she was learning these things from the other girl herself, but she'd settle for this.

When they came around the last bend, a large house came into view. Actually, 'large house' was a bad description of what essentially looked like a small ski lodge nestled amongst the trees around it. The rustic, cross timbered beams framed the nearly floor to ceiling windows all along the home. The structure was so large, it dwarfed the small cottage that stood several hundred feet in front of it just to the right of the path so much that Anna had almost missed it until Rapunzel led her to it. The small sign on the porch railing marked it as the Park Rangers office. Inside, they found a tall, lanky man in a rangers outfit, his name plate on the desk identifying him as Deputy Lucas Corona.

"Hey, Uncle Luke! Have you seen my dad?" Rapunzel hugged the deputy who had gotten up from the desk to greet them.

"Some hikers came in saying they saw an injured fox this morning. He's got Aiden and Liam helping him track it," Deputy Corona said. "Follow the north trail. You might find them."

"Oh, I was planning on taking Anna down the eastern path to the river's origin," Raps said, gesturing to the redhead. Anna gave him a shy wave. "Can you just let him know that's where we went?"

"Of course. Anything for my favorite niece."

"I'm your only niece," Rapunzel said, rolling her eyes.

"Doesn't make it any less meaningful of a statement," he responded with a wink. "I've got to go do rounds on the south end, but I'll let Fred know if I cross his path. You two be careful out there. It was nice to meet you, Anna."

The two girls hiked mostly in silence for about twenty minutes. Anna told herself it was because she was taking in the scenery (which was truly remarkable), but really it was because she didn't have enough breath to actually speak ( _I need to start working out. How is Raps even carrying that big pack?_ ). Anna gasped as they came upon a small basin at the base of a gentle waterfall. If the path from the Coronas' house and the forest along their (supposedly short) hike was beautiful, then there was no word worthy to describe this little haven. Rapunzel set down her bag and Anna quickly followed suit, more than ready for a rest.

"This is my favorite place on the reserve. I mostly come here in the spring and summer because the fresh water flows much steadier from the North Mountain, but it's beautiful year round," Rapunzel said. "Elsa tends to like it up here during the winter because the plunge pool becomes a natural skating rink. Our mothers used to take us up here a lot when we were kids."

Rapunzel paused to take a sip of water from the bottle Anna handed over to her. Anna thought about asking more about her and Elsa's childhood, but the blonde had a distant look in her eyes and a small smile on her face, like she was remembering some fond memory from childhood. Anna didn't want to interrupt her.

"Are you holding up okay away from your mom?" Raps said after another couple minutes of quiet tranquility. She reached into the giant pack she'd set down next to her and, to Anna's surprise, pulled out a skein of yarn and a couple knitting needles. When she looked up to see Anna's confused look, she explained. "I overheard my mom talking on the phone earlier and it sounded like yours was concerned. You two seem very close. How long has it been just the two of you?"

"As long as I can remember," Anna said. Rapunzel looked at her with a gentle smile. She didn't push, but something about her made Anna feel comfortable enough to share. "He died when I was still a baby. Surfing accident, I think."

"You think?" Raps asked with a frown.

"My mom doesn't really like to talk about it. She just said that he drowned. So I like to imagine it was doing something fun like surfing. I think he was fun. You know, to complement my mom's seriousness," Anna said. Rapunzel wasn't sure how to respond and Anna shrugged. "It sounds silly, I know."

"It doesn't," Raps said genuinely. The quiet settled between them again as Rapunzel looked down to pull a knot from the yarn. "I'm glad our moms are becoming good friends. My mom hasn't really found another friend since…"

"Since when?" Anna asked encouragingly when Raps didn't continue, looking away from the landscape and back to Rapunzel. The other girl had a sad look on her face as she started fiddling away with whatever she was knitting.

"My Aunt Rory," Rapunzel finally said with a sad smile. "Elsa's mom. Our moms were best friends, inseparable from the first time they met in Kindergarten. Then as fate would have it, Uncle Agnarr, my mom's brother, fell in love with her. Soon enough, best friends became sisters."

"What happened to her?" Anna whispered timidly. She felt like she already knew the answer, but she was hoping she was wrong.

"She died… She and my uncle. They had been out sailing when a storm suddenly blew through," Rapunzel said quietly and paused as she counted her stitches. If Anna had to guess, she'd say Rapunzel was knitting a scarf.

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard to lose them," Anna said sympathetically. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like to have an aunt and uncle one day then not have them the next, but she was sure it must have hurt.

"It was, but nothing compared to how my cousins must have felt. Kaira had just graduated high school, and suddenly she was guardian to a rebellious teenager and a kid sister. Elsa took it especially hard. We were only eight then," Raps said as her fingers worked deftly on her knitting project. "My Uncle Luke's house, that big one next to the Rangers' station, that's where I lived at the time. It's our ancestral home and is usually inherited by the eldest child, like my dad. After the accident, my mom asked my father to switch homes with his brother so she could be closer to her newly orphaned nieces.

"He agreed, obviously, and without hesitation. I'm really glad he did. The Corona Manor is clearly more than big enough for a family of three and is still just on the edge of our family's land," Rapunzel continued. She counted her stitches again and Anna was surprised how quickly the girl could knit. She was pretty certain now this was going to be a scarf. "I got the best of both worlds when we moved houses. I was still close enough to the Park, the part of Arendelle I love most, and I was right next door to the three girls who were more like my sisters than my cousins."

Rapunzel then held up the finished product of her impossibly fast knitting skills. Anna had guessed correctly. It was a scarf. An infinity scarf actually, in a shade of purple so deep it reminded Anna of the night sky just after sunset. Rapunzel slipped it over Anna's head and wrapped it around her neck twice.

"I was right. This color looks perfect on you. You must keep it," Rapunzel said. Anna wanted to refuse, but Raps smiled so brightly at her that she couldn't say no ( _good luck, Eugene,_ she thought).

"Thank you. It's beautiful," Anna said, running a hand over the woven yarn. Rapunzel smiled and pulled out a second bunch of yarn in the same color and began a new project. "So, how long have you and Flynn been together?"

"Eugene and I just celebrated our one year anniversary this past spring."

"Only a year?" Anna said in shock. "You two seem so perfect I would have more guessed you'd been together much longer. Like… elementary school."

Raps laughed heavily at Anna's assessment. "Oh, Eugene has been chasing me that long, so I guess you're kind of right."

"Ah, I see. You were the girl-next-door playing hard to get," Anna said wisely.

"Something like that," Raps confirmed. "I never thought about giving him the time of day because he was just so…"

"Conceited?"

"Yes!" Rapunzel said and both girls started laughing loudly, their voices bouncing around the clearing. "He was always showing off, doing daring things trying to get my attention. And that smolder? It used to annoy me so much."

"What changed?" Anna asked, still giggling, but stopped when Rapunzel's smile faded quickly. The blonde set her knitting aside and took a drink of water before she answered Anna's question.

"One day, he did something very careless. He was showing off again, trying to prove something to me I think, and it…" Raps paused and took a gathering breath. "...ended badly. He almost died."

Raps' pain of reliving the day was exceptionally evident to Anna, who had always been sensitive to other people's feelings. She could feel the sadness radiating from her friend. Anna reached over and placed a hand on the clasped ones in Rapunzel's lap. When Raps looked up, Anna could see the tears in her eyes. Anna smiled. "But he's okay now."

"Yes," Raps said, returning Anna's smile with a small one of her own. "He's okay now. When I'd almost lost him, I realized what I really felt for him and decided right then that we weren't going to waste anymore time being apart."

"That's beautiful," Anna said. "To have someone to love."

"It really is," Rapunzel said with a nod. She looked at Anna carefully, her eyes observing Anna's with intent before saying softly, "I know the kids at school call Elsa the 'Ice Queen' because she can come off as cold and aloof, but she's really quite the opposite. My cousin just… has trouble letting people in."

"Why are you telling me this?" Anna asked.

Rapunzel smiled and opened her mouth to say something, when a rustling came from behind them. Anna held her breath as her mind reeled with all the possible ferocious animals that could be behind the brush, each one bigger and toothier than the last. Both girls let out an audible sigh of relief when a young fox came limping out. Anna was only momentarily shocked when the fox came right up to her and curled itself gingerly into her lap.

"How did you do that?" Rapunzel asked in awe.

Anna shrugged and scratched the fox comfortingly behind the ear. "Animals have always seemed to like me. The one thing in nature that ever really seems to, actually."

Before Rapunzel could say anything else, her father ambled onto the basin's shore with two young boys that looked like twins following behind him. Uncle Fred, as he told her to call him during dinner last night, was wearing his uniform, a shiny badge indicating he was the Chief Ranger glinting in the sunlight was pinned to his left breast pocket.

"Oh good! You found her. We've been tracking this sweet girl for miles," his deep voice resounded in the small clearing around them. As the three approached, the fox seemed to become anxious and a panicked whining filled the once calm space. The Ranger held his arm across the two young boys to keep them back. "Sounds like this situation requires a woman's touch, boys. Let's stand back."

Frederic looked pointedly at his daughter and gave her a nod. Rapunzel seemed to understand his silent request though because she scooted closer to Anna slowly. "Just keep her calm, Anna."

"I'll try," she said and continued to pet the fox softly. She watched as Rapunzel's hands carefully roamed over the fox's front left leg before gingerly lifting it. That's when Anna saw the matted fur, sticky with a red liquid and she averted her eyes quickly, closing them tightly.

"Squeamish, Anna?" she heard Rapunzel's dad ask.

She peaked open one eye to look at him before nodding. "A little, yeah."

"That's alright. Just keep your eyes closed. Rapunzel has been doing this sort of thing since she was a young girl. She'll have the fox fixed up in no time, a bit of a magic touch you might say."

Anna didn't need telling twice. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited patiently for Raps to do her work. She heard the splashing of water apart from the trickling of the gentle waterfall which she assumed was Rapunzel cleaning the fox's wound. Then suddenly, a comforting glow illuminated behind her eyelids. Anna was tempted to look, but she really was extremely squeamish. The last thing she wanted to do was sully the beautiful clearing with the pizza she'd had at lunch.

"Okay, Anna. It's all done," Raps said and Anna opened her eyes to see that the fox's leg looked miraculously healed, albeit a bit wet. "She must have gotten her paw stuck in something, but most of the blood was old so it looked worse than it actually was. I think she'll be fine now."

Anna nodded and encouraged the fox to get up from her lap to test out her foot. It seemed that Rapunzel really did have a magic touch as the fox no longer had a limp. With a final nuzzle into the palm of Anna's hand, the fox ran off into the thicket and out of sight. Anna looked up to see all the Coronas looking at her curiously, but Rapunzel smiled at her and broke the silence.

"Come on, we should get going. I like to help mom cook dinner on Saturday, and I was thinking we'd bake some brownies tonight."

Raps and her younger cousins (yes - they are twins, and no - Anna was sure she'd never be able to tell them apart), led the way down the southeastern trail that followed along the river that continued out of the basin. Anna took it easy, taking careful, calculated steps down the slight incline and walked quietly next to Rapunzel's dad.

"This river has a legendary history here in Arendelle," Uncle Fred said a few minutes into the hike. Raps and the boys had run ahead a ways, playing some sort of made up game Anna wasn't sure had any rules. She looked over at the large man as he continued. "The water that flows through it comes from the ice caps up on that North Mountain and it travels directly to the Dark Sea on the southeastern side of the island. Our legends tell us of a magical place, formed by the waters of this river, where Nature and man can go to be one."

"That's a lovely story. Do you believe the legend?" she asked. "It already seems that you and Rapunzel are one with nature without going to that place."

"What makes you think I haven't been there?" he asked her with a grin. She was pretty sure it was rhetorical, but she glanced back at him anyway and raised an eyebrow. He only chuckled before saying, "Yes, I do believe in the legend. I've seen too many wonders on our island to not think it true, but I can understand a skeptic's view. Back there, I heard you tell Rapunzel that the animals are the only thing in nature that likes you. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, I just always seem to have mishaps whenever I'm out in places like this," Anna said, making a sweeping motion to the forest around them. "I'm actually surprised I haven't fallen into a crevice or gotten swept into the river yet. It's been a recurring theme in my life. I am definitely not one with nature."

The Chief hummed thoughtfully. He observed Anna from the corner of his eye as they continued along the edge of the river. Anna found his presence calming. There have never been very many men in her life, and at first glance, the one beside her looked intimidating from his broad shoulders to his thick goatee. However, there were small things about him where she found Rapunzel - the way he pursed his lips in thought, the tilt of his head when speaking. She found him less and less frightening the more she saw the similarities between him and the girl that was quickly becoming the best friend she'd ever made.

"Nature always has a way of finding balance," he finally said after a very pregnant pause in their conversation. "Perhaps something has kept you from finding it with Her. Give it time though, Anna. I truly believe there's always someone or something in a person's life that can lead you to where you need to be - that thing that helps you find balance and can always lead you home."

He motioned to the river and Anna let her eyes follow it until they found the large building in the distance that she'd learned from Rapunzel was her family's ancestral home.

"Once you find it, I'm certain that you and Nature can be one as well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I generally update on Sundays. I've decided to upload in chunks (that make sense story wise) each day this week to catch AO3 up to where I am on FFnet, so that it's up to date on this site by the time I post new stuff again next Sunday. 
> 
> This is the last one for today. See y'all tomorrow. Thanks for reading!!


	6. The Dark Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**08 November 2019**

The bell rang to dismiss them from 6th period, much to Anna's relief. After five weeks at Arendelle High, Anna finally felt like she was no longer being gawked at by the other kids. There was now a defined rhythm to her time at school, but this week had felt so long. After running into Elsa in the woods and learning a lot about her from Rapunzel the prior weekend, Anna couldn't get the girl out of her head. She was more preoccupied with thoughts of Elsa than ever, and she didn't think that was even possible.

But, as with every other school week, Elsa was as icy as ever.

When they sat down in Chemistry on Tuesday, the air between them was so thick with tension it was nearly palpable. After a quick lecture from their teacher reminding them, yet again, about the importance of adding acids into water after an incident the prior week (yeah yeah - you guessed right. It was Anna, but you can't blame her, really. Elsa had decided not to use her signature braid that day, and the flowy locks were very distracting), the two girls got silently to work. Well, _Elsa_ tried to silently work. Anna had other ideas.

_"How's Marshmallow?"_

_Elsa's hands, which were carefully measuring out a solution, froze at the sudden question. Her eyes darted to her in curiosity before going back to what she was doing. "He's fine."_

_"And Olaf?"_

_"Also fine."_

_"...Your sisters?" Anna pushed a little more after a beat._

_"They're fine," was all Elsa offered._

_"And y…" Anna almost asked Elsa how she was, but chickened out at the last second. She wasn't exactly sure why. "Okay, good. I'm glad that everyone is… fine."_

That was the most interaction they had the entire week. Anna wanted to bring up the whole 'Kristoff is _Not_ My Boyfriend' conversation, but she wasn't exactly sure how to do that without being completely awkward about it (who was she kidding? She's Anna. She was going to be awkward about it). So much to her frustration, Elsa still believed that Kristoff and Anna were a thing when they weren't. Like, really really weren't.

"Any plans tomorrow, Anna?" Raps asked as they exited the choir room.

"Mmhm," Anna nodded. "I agreed to accompany Go Go on her data gathering assignment. Something about mapping the tides along the shoreline on the southern side of the island. Not all of the staff has arrived yet so she needed a volunteer which, to my mother, means 'offer your daughter as tribute.'"

"Aw, that's too bad. Some of us were going to meet up at the boardwalk tomorrow. It's the last weekend for some of the shops before they close up for the winter weather," Rapunzel said. "But, hey! You said you're going to be along the southside shore? That's where the boardwalk is so maybe you can swing by?"

"I don't know. We'll be on a boat. Go Go has to measure the water depths during the tide changes out to a certain distance."

"Okay, well if it works out just text me. We'll be there all day," she said before waving goodbye.

Anna watched her head toward Elsa, the platinum blonde girl was already standing outside her car. It was like deja vu; the walk out of the building after choir two weeks ago coming back to her, the honking of the car horn as it came dangerously close to ending her ringing clearly in her ears as if it were only yesterday. She pulled her beanie down more snuggly onto her head. There was no way she was letting this new one Raps had knitted her to match the infinity scarf get away from her.

* * *

Anna was freezing. The wind out on the deck of the small, repurposed trawler boat bit at her nose and cheeks. Despite the many layers she was wearing, the chill was seeping through. She was thankful she chose to wear her warmest, waterproof North Face jacket, because the mist that sprayed with each wave around the boat would have soaked her to the bone within minutes. They had been out there for a couple of hours by now, systematically navigating to each point along the map that they were handed that morning to take the necessary measurements. They were halfway through all the points already. When they were done, they'd take a small break before starting all over again, taking measurements during the next tide.

"Can you grab me the second echo sounder, Anna? These readings don't really make sense. I want to double check them," Go Go said, frowning at the instrument in her hands.

"Sure thing!" Anna headed into the small, enclosed cockpit, happy for the brief reprieve from the harsh winds outside. Once she retrieved the backup instrument from the bag of gear they'd brought along, she steeled herself against the cold and headed out onto the open deck once more. "What's wrong with the readings?"

"It just doesn't make sense right here. It's not as deep as the previous readings at the same distance from shore," Go Go said as she began taking readings with the instrument Anna just handed her. "Huh. It's the same. There must be something down there. We'll see what we read on the next pass over this spot."

Go Go made some notes before they both headed into the cockpit for the next destination point. Anna looked out of the side window as Go Go steered them along. Each new data gathering point brought them closer to the boardwalk, and she could see that it was crowded with people. It appeared that most of the town was out for the last weekend of the season.

"Hey, we're almost done with the high tide measurements," Go Go said, sensing Anna's longing from beside her. "Why don't we head to the boardwalk after instead of going back to the Institute for lunch? We'll have to wait a couple hours until the low tide anyway."

"Really!? Yeah, that would be great," Anna said with a smile.

"Good. Text your friends and let them know. Then stop moping and get a move on. The quicker we get these done, the quicker we can go check out the boardwalk before it closes for the year."

With a new sense of purpose, Anna gladly and efficiently helped Go Go take measurements for another hour or so. She was even feeling warmer, the wind and the water didn't seem to bother her as much. That, or she was becoming numb all over and would likely lose her toes to frostbite. It was probably the latter.

As she grabbed the instruments for the next set of measurements, Anna felt the boat rock more than it had all morning. She looked out at the water. The surface was choppier than she remembered a few minutes ago, the white tips of the waves were reaching the railing along the edge of their boat. She looked at Go Go and saw that she was observing the sea with a little frown, but turned and gave Anna a reassuring smile.

"The forecast is supposed to be fair all day, nothing more than cloud cover, but let's just get these last markers done quickly just to be safe," Go Go said.

They worked quickly taking measurements and double checking the notes. Soon enough, they'd gotten nearly all the predetermined points covered and were headed up the final marked line on the map about a couple hundred yards from the boardwalk when the waves grew larger, splashing over the sides of the boat and sweeping over the deck. Anna slipped, but caught herself on one of the ropes tied along the bars of the railing.

"Let's get in the cabin!" Go Go shouted at her. She was holding on to a bar on the top of the cabin's awning and held her hand out to Anna.

The redhead pulled herself up and reached out to grab Go Go's outstretched hand. Then there it was again, completely unexpected. The pulling feeling in the pit of her stomach caused her to turn slightly toward the boardwalk. Her eyes instantly picked out the easily identifiable, platinum blonde head that was standing along the edge of the pier, and Anna could swear that she was looking right at her.

"ANNA, LOOK OUT!"She turned back to Go Go and saw a massive swell cresting along the side of the boat. In the heartbeat it took her to assess the situation, she knew this wave was going to wash everything off the deck's surface. She happened to be one of those things. There was no way she'd make it to Go Go in time. The only option Anna had was to grab tightly onto the railing and attempt to brace herself against the rush of water. It was a futile attempt. The powerful torrent easily ripped her hands from the boat and Anna felt herself get swept into the dark waters below.

Anna had always been a strong swimmer. It was a skill her mother insisted she master and Anna had spent many summers as a kid with a personal swim instructor. Being a strong swimmer was non-negotiable for the North women. Not when her mother worked with marine animals. Not after what happened to her father...

But Anna had never been this far out into the ocean. She'd certainly never been out in the ocean when its waters were this raging and unforgiving. Keeping her wits about her, she kicked with all her strength toward the light above.

_Stay calm and keep treading water,_ she told herself.

Her head broke the surface and she sputtered, coughing the salt water from her lungs that the force of the wave had pushed in through her nose and mouth. She turned her head in all directions in search of the boat and was disheartened to find that she'd been pushed quite a distance away. She could see Go Go waving at her as she threw a life preserver in her direction as hard as she could. Anna was still a ways from where it landed, but the distance was manageable.

"You can do this," she said to herself as she started toward the flotation device only to be caught under another wave. Her world was turned around over and over as the current swirled around her. When she stopped spinning, she kicked toward the light again, but she was getting severely fatigued. Anna's head broke the surface once more only to be immediately greeted by the frothy, white crest of another wave crashing directly on her.

_So tired._ The many layers she'd chosen to wear for warmth grew heavy as water bogged them down, and her energy began to fade. She tried to remove some of the heavy material, but the thick gloves she was wearing made her fingers clumsy.

_Just keep kicking_. The weight pulled her down, a heavy gravity sank her further into the dark water below.

The last thing she saw was a streak of silver, but all she could do was succumb to the darkness around her.

* * *

_Warmth_. That was the first thing Anna registered. She never thought death would feel warm. But it was fleeting. _Come back_ , she thought as the warmth was replaced with a pressure on what she thought was her chest.

_Do I even still have a body?_ The pressure was heavy, but not as heavy as the darkness.

Then the warmth returned. A concentrated warmth on her nose, her chin, her… lips? And she felt air try to push into her lungs. Then again the warmth was gone, replaced once more by the pressure.

She could hear muffled voices, like they were coming through the water that she had fallen deeper into. The darkness had engulfed her, she had given in and let it take her.

That warmth again… It traveled deeper this time, past her lips and pushed into her lungs, warming her core.

"Just breathe, Anna," she heard a tiny voice whisper in her mind. A voice she quickly recognized despite it saying only a handful of things to her before. The sultry, warm voice of a platinum blonde mezzo. The pressure again. It pushed the warmth down to her extremities. "Please breathe."

_Listen to the voice,_ she thought as the warmth returned to her lips. _You need…_

Air.

With a sudden jerk, Anna began coughing up the salty ocean water that filled her chest. It wasn't just warm, it burned. It stung her throat and her nose. She felt multiple sets of hands roll her onto her side as she continued to expel the water that didn't belong in her lungs. Finally, she was able to gasp in one, deep, glorious breath. She knew then that she'd forever be grateful for air.

Large, bright blue eyes shining with unshed tears were the first thing Anna saw when she could finally open her own. Relief flooded the angelic face before her and a full smile spread across Elsa's face. Anna was confused. Where was she? How was Elsa here? A dozen more questions flooded her still foggy mind, but she couldn't find the energy to voice any of them. Elsa's relieved expression quickly turned to concern.

"Blankets. Anything dry. Quickly."

Anna felt herself get pulled into a sitting position as Elsa deftly pulled her heavy coat off and began removing the extra layers underneath. Before she could protest, Anna was down to just the thin thermal leggings and long sleeve shirt she'd stocked up on from Uniqlo before moving to Arendelle. That's when Anna realized she was shivering violently.

"She needs to share someone's warmth. My skin is still too cold," Elsa said calmly, looking at Go Go as she gently laid Anna down onto a thick blanket, though the emotion behind those oceanic eyes betrayed the blonde's outward demeanor.

"On it. I've got you, Anna bear," Go Go responded. Anna looked up and saw her surrogate big sister had already stripped off her damp outer layers. Anna realized she was back on the boat, nestled safely in the cabin. The rocking of the vessel was suspiciously gentle, almost calming even. She felt Go Go lie down next to her and wrap her up in a warm hug. Her shivering settled slightly as Elsa wrapped them tightly in the blanket, leaving only their faces exposed. She piled a second and third blanket on top of that. "You should keep one for yourself, Elsa."

"I'm fine. The cold doesn't really bother me."

They stayed in the cabin like this for quite some time. Anna wanted to ask a hundred questions and figure out what happened after she had no more energy left to keep fighting with the sea, but she was just so tired. Instead, she watched Elsa work. The blonde had turned the heaters up gradually, and occasionally adjusted the blankets around them to release some warmth.

"You don't want to warm up too quickly," Elsa had said when she first did this. "Your heart might stop… again."

Anna saw a pained look cross Elsa's face when she said that before the blonde looked away quickly, but Anna's eyes never left her. As her internal body temperature began to rise, slowly as Elsa and Go Go made sure it would, her shivering began to die down and her brain started functioning normally again. Anna finally found the energy to start speaking.

"How did yo… you get here?" Anna managed to rasp out, clearing her scratchy throat several times before she could finish her question.

Elsa frowned slightly and walked over to the small cooler underneath the steering column. She came back with a mini bottle of water and motioned for Anna to raise her head. Elsa then tipped the bottle to Anna's mouth, helping her drink the fresh water, clearing away the residual salt from her mouth and throat. She felt Elsa brush a drop of water away from her bottom lip and she shivered again.

"Thank you," Anna whispered. Elsa nodded and Anna pressed once more. "I saw you on the boardwalk. How did you get to the boat?"

"Simple," Elsa answered. Her voice was different than her usual 'Ice Queen' one she used at school. This one was warmer. The one Anna got a hint of on Halloween. "I jumped."

"Jumped is too basic a term. She more like swan dove into the ocean; ridiculously elegant. It was a 'woman up' level I want to achieve one day," Go Go said.

"From the boardwalk!" Anna exclaimed, before her lungs protested harshly, causing her to begin coughing again. Elsa leaned back in with the bottle of water and Anna took a few tentative sips. When the coughing finally stopped, she looked back to Elsa. "That's incredibly reckless."

"So is not wearing a life vest."

_She got you there_ , she thought. "Touchè, but it wouldn't fit over all the layers."

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose and she sighed, but didn't respond otherwise. Anna actually found an exasperated Elsa rather amusing. _She looks beautiful even when she's mad,_ she thought.

Elsa let out another sigh before looking at Anna. "How are you feeling now?"

Anna flexed her fingers and toes, tried rolling her shoulders. She's definitely felt better, but she's also felt much worse. "I think I'm okay."

Elsa nodded and settled behind the wheel. She turned the ignition and Anna felt the boat take off at a steady pace around the island.

"You know how to sail?" From her position on the floor still wrapped up under the blankets, all Anna could see was Elsa's profile, but she caught a glimpse of that single left dimple as a smirk graced her face.

"This isn't sailing," she said cheekily. "But yes. I can sail."

Anna sat up slowly, Go Go helping steady her as she was still feeling pretty fatigued. "You're just full of surprises, Elsa Aren."

Elsa shut the engine off and turned to her, a devilish smirk on her face, one of her perfect, slender eyebrows raised. "I should hate to be predictable."

Anna felt her breath hitch. Elsa had never been so forward in their interactions before and she wasn't sure what that meant. At school, Elsa was icy and standoffish. Outside of school, Elsa was a mystery. Her hot and cold behavior was giving Anna whiplash, but she was determined to one day solve this puzzle. The blonde walked over to her and, with what seemed like very little effort, gently pulled Anna up to her feet. She readjusted the blanket firmly around the ginger's shoulders.

"Stay here in the warmth for a moment, please?"

The earnest look on Elsa's face brought a blush to Anna's cheeks. She just hoped that Elsa didn't notice and decided to only nod for fear that she'd say something awkward. Elsa smiled and headed out into the cold.

"So _that's_ Elsa?" Anna whipped around to see that Go Go was already putting her layers back on. She had a knowing half-smile pulling at her lips. "I can see the appeal. Those Aren women are absolutely gorgeous."

"I'm not sure what you're implying," Anna played innocent.

"Yeah, ok. Sure," Go Go said with a roll of her eyes. She zipped up her jacket and shook her head. "You're too smart to play dumb, Anna. It doesn't suit you."

Anna let out a big sigh and averted her eyes from the other girl's gaze.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Elsa… I don't know. I get the feeling she can hardly tolerate me sometimes. OW!" Anna rubbed her head where Go Go had thumped her. "What the _heck_ was that for?"

"I just said - playing dumb doesn't suit you. The girl swan dove twenty feet off a pier into the freezing waters of the Dark Sea. There's clearly more there," Go Go stated firmly. She tapped Anna gently under the chin with her fist. "So woman up."

Just then, Elsa entered with a bag. Go Go gave Anna another pointed look. The older girl was right, Anna was smart and she knew what she needed to do to 'woman up,' as Go Go would put it. Starting that conversation was the part she didn't know how to do though. Before heading out of the cabin, Go Go stopped in front of the blonde.

"Thank you. I would have really missed that dork," Go Go said, nodding at Anna before muttering to herself as she walked out. "Plus, her mom would have killed me."

"I had Rapunzel bring you some dry clothes. They'll probably be a bit big, but they'll keep you warm," Elsa said once they were alone, the cabin door fully closed to keep the cold air out. She handed over the bag. Anna let the blanket fall from her shoulders and shivered at the sudden lack of warmth, making Elsa frowned. "Still terribly cold?"

"Not so much anymore," Anna said as she pulled the hooded sweater on.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should take you to the doctor -"

"No!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa raised her eyebrows at her and Anna gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. The doctor is not necessary. They'd have to call my mother."

"You're not going to tell her?" Elsa asked, frowning once more.

"Definitely not," Anna said firmly as she pulled on more layers that Rapunzel had packed for her. There was no way Anna would tell her mother she almost drowned in the sea; not with knowing what happened to her father. "She won't let me out of her sight for weeks if she finds out. A bit of a classic over-reactor, really. I'm alive and I feel fine. There's no need to worry her. Anyway, how do I look?"

Anna held her arms out. She knew she must look frumpy. Rapunzel was nearly a head taller than her so she'd had to fold the pant legs and sleeves to fit her. Elsa gave her a once over and Anna felt her cheeks warm under the scrutiny, but she played it off as best she could. Then Elsa pulled off her own coat and helped Anna put it on, zipping it up to the chin for her.

"There. You look warm enough to go back out into the cold now."

"Won't you get cold?" Anna asked. Elsa was now only wearing the light blue hooded sweatshirt she'd seen her in a couple of weeks ago. She must have changed out of her wet clothes when she'd grabbed these ones for Anna.

"Not really," Elsa responded. "I thrive in the cold. Come on, I'll drive you home."

"Kristoff isn't my boyfriend!" Anna blurted out before Elsa could open the door. _Smooth. Very smooth, ya dork,_ Anna winced at her own tactlessness, but Go Go had really gotten into her head. Elsa was stalled at the door, but hadn't turned around or acknowledged what Anna had basically shouted at her. So Anna continued to speak to her back, which was easier anyway (that face was way too distracting). "You seemed to have the impression that we were somehow a thing, but we're not. Not even in the slightest."

Elsa did turn around then and looked at her questioningly. "You wore matching outfits on Halloween."

"Oh that… Wait, what? No we didn't…" Anna said. She thought back to her outfit as Little Red and then Kristoff's costume. "Oh! You thought Kristoff was a hunter? I could see that, I guess… red plaid shirt, suspenders, toy axe… Yeah, that tracks. But no. Kristoff was a Lumberjack."

"A lumberjack?" Elsa said quietly, eyebrows scrunched together in thought ( _ugh, even confused, she looks gorgeous_ ). Anna wasn't exactly sure if it was a real question or if the girl was just thinking out loud, but she nodded anyway. After a quiet, thoughtful moment, Elsa spoke again. "Okay."

_That's it?_ "Okay…?" Anna wasn't sure what she was expecting, but 'okay' definitely wasn't it.

"Okay," Elsa repeated before opening the cabin door and gesturing for Anna to walk out first. When they reached the end of the dock, Anna was immediately wrapped in a hug by Rapunzel. Anna ended up comforting the upset blonde, rubbing her back and assuring her that she was fine.

"One second you were there, and the next you were gone," Raps said through sniffles. "It was scary. Do not do that again."

"Trust me. I don't plan on it."

"Okay, good. Well, Eugene and I have to go or we'll be late for dinner with my parents. Which then will lead to my mom asking questions and I'm not good at lying to her. Go Go said you probably don't want your mom to know about this," Raps said. Anna shook her head adamantly. "If _my_ mom knows, then _your_ mom will certainly hear about it. So I have to dash, but text me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Raps. I'll get your clothes back to you." The blonde hopped over to the Range Rover where Eugene was sitting behind the driver's seat. He sent her a wave before driving off.

"I'll have to go out and finish the measurements if you don't want your mom to know," Go Go said. "She'll wonder why we didn't finish if I don't."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"It'll take longer on my own, but I'll manage. The waters look really calm now anyway. I'm not sure what all that was about," Go Go answered as she looked out to the sea. "I'll tell your mom you were tired so I dropped you off at home before heading back."

"Thanks, Go Go," Anna said.

"Anytime, kiddo. Get some rest," she said and gave Anna a kiss on the top of her head before heading back down the dock.

"We should really get you out of the cold," Elsa said. Anna nodded and followed her to the white Audi parked a few spaces away. She guessed that Raps must have brought Elsa's car over from the boardwalk to the docks. Elsa switched Anna's seat warmer on and turned the heater to the hottest setting before zooming out of the parking lot.

They made the drive through town in silence, only the soft sounds of classical music filling the space between them. Elsa's choice in driving music didn't really surprise her. She wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting, but this seemed fitting. Like the first time she'd ridden in this car, Anna kept glancing over at her driver. Even after swimming in the frigid ocean, Elsa still looked perfect. Her french braid didn't have a hair out of place, and her complexion was as smooth as usual.

Anna was certain she looked like Raggedy Anne.

Elsa pulled into the driveway of the little yellow house, the music automatically lowering slightly as she put the car into park. The blonde glanced over at her and smiled. Anna instantly felt her heart beat faster. She was certain that Elsa could hear it, the thumping was so loud.

"Thank you," Anna said quietly. "For, you know, jumping into the ocean to save me."

"You seem to find yourself in danger a lot," Elsa said. "Please, do be more careful."

Anna was taken aback slightly by the seriousness in Elsa's voice, like she truly was worried about Anna's safety. She couldn't figure out why the blonde would care, but Anna liked the thought that she just might.

"I'll try," Anna said with a small smile. "But it's never seemed to make a difference before."

"You're saying this isn't a recent development?"

"Oh, definitely not," Anna laughed somewhat morbidly. "Life seems to like throwing me a curveball every now and then… Okay, so all the time really."

Elsa blinked several times, her mouth slightly open in minute horror. "That's highly disconcerting."

"Meh. I'm used to it," Anna said breezily. "Anyway - thank you, really. Permanently drowning would have really sucked."

"Yes, truly," Elsa said and she absently reached over and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Anna's ear. The ginger froze at the action, and Elsa seemed to realize what she'd done a moment later. A slight blush bloomed across the pale, freckle dusted cheeks, and the blonde quickly withdrew her hand and placed it back on the steering wheel. "I… um. I guess I'll see you on Monday… At school?"

"Uh… yeah. Of course. Monday…" Anna stammered out and then opened her door. "Bye, Elsa."

"Good night, Anna."

"Ugh! Really, why is this stair even a thing?" she muttered angrily as she tripped on that bottom step of the front door landing. There's no way Elsa didn't see it. Once she'd gotten her front door opened, Anna waved another goodbye at Elsa, who was waiting for her to get inside. She watched as the sporty, white car sped off before shutting the door. She took a few deep breaths as her heart fluttered in her chest.

If hypothermia didn't cause her heart to arrest, thoughts of Elsa just might.


	7. The Caverns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**27 November 2019**

Things were fine. That's what Anna kept telling herself. Everything was… fine. It had been about two and a half weeks since the drowning incident, and her mother was still none the wiser, so Anna felt like she was in the clear for that. She tried not to get complacent though. Every time she let her guard down, every time she thought her lifetime long bad luck streak might finally be over, something crazy would happen. But for now, everything was fine.

Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and they had a glorious, four-day weekend to look forward to. A holiday weekend without homework, a real shocker to Anna. Something about a holiday is a holiday and kids need time to be kids. Anna was really starting to like this small town vibe. To top it off, today was the Junior Class trip to the Arendelle Hot Spring Caverns, the northernmost part of the Corona Nature Park and Wildlife Reserve. The fact that they get to kick the long, homework free weekend off with a field trip to one of the many natural wonders this beautiful island had to offer was almost enough to negate Anna's disappointment that she wouldn't have Chemistry class this afternoon.

Since the incident out on the Dark Sea, Elsa had been more approachable. There was still a distance she kept, like she was hidden behind several walls and closed doors, but she didn't seem to hate Anna anymore. When Anna arrived at their Chem class that following Monday, she had already prepared for the steely, silent Elsa that she was always met with when within the confines of the school. So when Elsa spoke to her, Anna was so startled that she nearly dropped yet another Erlenmeyer flask.

" _Oh fu… Phew. That was close…" Anna had muttered as she fumbled with the expensive (as her teacher kept reminding her) laboratory glassware. "I'm sorry, what was that?"_

" _I asked how the rest of your weekend was," Elsa said, smirking at Anna's clumsiness. "No further life threatening accidents, I hope?"_

" _Uh… yeah no," Anna said and she felt her cheeks grow warm from embarrassment._ She's teasing me right? This is teasing?

" _Which is it?" Elsa asked with a confused frown._

" _Huh?"_

" _Yeah or no?" Elsa clarified, the smirk back, cute little dimple making an appearance._

" _Oh! No… no more near death experiences," Anna laughed somewhat awkwardly. "Decided to actually not leave the house for the rest of the weekend. You know? Minimize the potential harm I can cause to myself or others."_

_Elsa laughed at that. Not a full laugh, Anna could tell even if she'd never heard the girl's laugh before. It just felt restrained slightly, but it was still one of the most musical sounds Anna felt she'd ever heard before. She found herself already wanting to hear more of it._

" _How thoughtful of you," Elsa said, breaking Anna's inner thoughts_ _(_ thank goodness these didn't accidentally become outer thoughts _) before teasing (_ this is definitely teasing _) her once more. "Now pass me the flint striker. It's clear to me that I shouldn't trust you with lighting the Bunsen burner."_

And that's how every Chemistry class had gone since - there'd be some light banter, some teasing, a lot of awkwardness (mostly on Anna's part), and a lot less lab accidents (much to their teacher's relief). It was quickly becoming one of Anna's favorite parts of the school week. They didn't interact much outside of that class, but Anna was currently content with their current… whatever you called this. Since she had her usual lunch group of Kristoff and the Nova twins, and the fact that she was beginning to spend a lot of time outside of school with Rapunzel, Anna was really feeling like she was establishing something of a new life here in Arendelle. Everything truly was going just fine.

 _I should really stop thinking that. Nothing good ever follows the phrase 'everything is going just fine,'_ she thought to herself as she exited the bus.

"Oh, I love the caverns," Rapunzel said as she looped her arm through one of Anna's and squealed excitedly. "It's my favorite place on the reserve."

"I thought the river basin at the bottom of the North Mountain was your favorite?"

"You can have more than one favorite, Anna bear," Rapunzel chastised playfully ( _reminder to self - kill Go Go for teaching Raps this nickname_ ). "All the parts of the Park are my favorite."

"Wouldn't that mean you have no favorite?" Anna questioned, completely confused by her best friend (oh yeah - they were best friends now).

"Now you're getting it," Raps said with a big smile, nearly dragging the ginger along in her excitement. Anna could tell already that she was in one of her more energetic moods, which meant Rapunzel might be a handful today without Eugene around to help rein her in.

They entered the cavern and Anna let out an audible gasp of awe. The Hot Spring Caverns were just as beautiful as the rest of the island. Over the last two months of living here, she grew more and more appreciative of the natural wonders that were in abundance in Arendelle. It was clear why the Marine Life Institute had chosen the island to continue observing, studying, and helping the habitats offered to the wildlife here.

The natural warmth of the caves washed over her the moment Rapunzel pulled her through the opening on the western side of the North Mountain. The walls within the space she could see were lined with natural patterns and colors that made the room brighter despite the only light source coming through the cave opening. The rock formations reverberated the sound into a perfect melody of flowing water, the cave wildlife, and the voices of all her classmates. Anna would have never considered a cave to be a beautiful environment, but this one was definitely proving her wrong.

"Wait till you see the subterranean hot spring," Raps whispered to Anna as she led her deeper into the cave and settled them amongst the other students. It was a good thing too, since Anna was too preoccupied taking in the marvel around her to notice where they were walking.

"There's more?" Anna asked in wonder.

"Oh yes. The hot spring is one of the most beautiful sights you'll ever see," said a silky voice on her left. Anna turned to see Elsa smirking at her.

 _I'm not sure about that,_ Anna thought.

"What was that?" Elsa said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wha… what?"

"You said, 'I'm not sure about that?''

"Oh! Uh… Well, I just... I mean… I've lived in a bunch of places… 'Cause my mom's work had us traveling a lot, you know? And so I've seen a lot of beautiful people… I mean places!" Anna rambled. _Oh no, not an Anna spiral. Get it together, girl._ "But you're probably right. This island is beautiful. That river basin clearing, the Enchanted Forest… not that it's actually enchanted, I know that. That's just silly, but it is enchan _ting_ … So yeah! Arendelle is full of beautiful people… I mean places! So I'm sure -"

"Anna?" Elsa said gently, half-smirk still on her face. "You're rambling again."

"I… yeah. I am aware," Anna sighed. She was saved from herself when Rapunzel's dad approached them.

"Hey, snow cub," he said as he tapped Elsa on the shoulder from behind. "Could I get your help with something in the southern tunnel?"

"Of course, Uncle," Elsa said and followed him through an opening to the left of the cave.

"You're adorable, Anna bear," Raps said and patted her on the head. "I wonder who these beautiful people are that you're referri-"

Anna placed two fingers on Rapunzel's lips, then closed her eyes and sighed. "Don't patronize me."

Her best friend just chuckled and pulled her further into the cave when one of their teachers beckoned the students to gather up.

* * *

Elsa was right. The subterranean hot spring was one of the most beautiful things Anna had ever seen. The students had been led down one of the many tunnels that had been carved through the base of the mountain by a river that had long since dried up. What was left behind was a thriving ecosystem beneath the mountain that was kept warm by the natural underwater sea vents located beneath this part of the island.

Like the first chamber they'd entered at ground level, the walls, stalactites, and stalagmites built by nature in the cave systems were marbled with patterns like brushstrokes on a stone canvas. The underground hot spring, however, had the added element of bioluminescent algae and fungi that threw color in all shades of blues, purples, pinks, and teals all along the caves. The light danced across all the surfaces, reacting to touch and sound, which made Anna feel as if she'd stepped into another world. There was no other way to describe it other than magical.

"I kind of don't want to leave here," Anna said to Rapunzel when she finally spotted her a little ways away from the rest of the group. The blonde was staring up at a particularly dark portion of the cave's ceiling. It was as if the fluorescent plant life had been stripped away from the area. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Rapunzel answered, though the frown between her light eyebrows told a different story. She quickly schooled her features though and gave Anna a smile. "And if you like it that much, I'm sure I could get Dad or Uncle Luke to take us back here sometime. The nice thing about the natural hot spring is that it's like this all year round. We could bring Go Go and your mom."

"They'd love that! They're a bit busy getting the Institute running smoothly, but I'm sure they'd like to see this eventually," Anna said. She took a glance around the cavern and finally noticed that their class was short one person. Anna had been so fascinated with the ecosystem down here that it actually distracted her from thoughts of Elsa. "I haven't seen your cousin since we first got here. Do you think she's okay?"

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, I'm sure she's fine," Rapunzel said distractedly, looking back up at the dark spot on the ceiling. "Daddy said he had her looking into something. She knows these caves well and wanted her opinion on an anomaly he'd found."

"Elsa knows these caves?"

"Yup," Rapunzel said and looked at Anna. "After her parents died, Elsa would sometimes get… overwhelmed. Dad would bring her out here just to get her away from people for a little bit. You know, to gather her thoughts and such. The North Mountain is kind of like a haven for her."

 _No wonder she spoke about the hot springs that way_ , Anna thought as she followed the group back up the way they'd come. Their teachers were leading them back to the main cave entrance, and the Junior class was talking animatedly about the hot spring. Though it sounded like they'd all been here many times on their school trips throughout the years, the wonderment of the caverns still amazed them, and Anna completely understood why.

"The hot springs are kind of magical, huh?" Honeymaren asked, walking up to her. Rapunzel had just broken away from the group again saying that she needed to find her dad to tell him about something.

"Totally," Anna answered excitedly. "I definitely want to come back here sometime. Explore more of the caves and such. Everything is so beautiful and mysterious."

 _Much like a certain blonde I know_ , she mused.

"Yeah, the first time I came here was a few months after our family moved to Arendelle, I was awed too, but Ryder and I were very young then. So everything about this island seemed magical."

"Wait, you and Ryder moved here? I thought most of the kids here were born on the island," Anna asked. "Raps said Flynn was the last new kid to move into town."

"He was," Honeymaren answered with a nod. "We moved here when we were four. We lived on another, smaller island not too far from here before that. Flynn's family moved here the next year."

"Well, hopefully a family or two relocate for the new Marine Life Institute so there's new kids to draw the attention away from me," Anna muttered when she looked over to see a group of kids she hadn't met yet looking at her. Their eyes darted away quickly when they saw her spot them. "It's been almost two months, you'd think everyone would get used to me by now."

"Well, not much happens in this town. That's just how it is when there's a lack of news," Honeymaren said rationally. One of their teachers started addressing the group, explaining that the lunch meals would be here soon and they should all start making their way to the picnic area. "I'm going to find Ryder. Want to join us?"

"Sure," Anna said. "Just let me grab Rapunzel. She wanted to have lunch too. We'll find you."

Honeymaren went off in search of her twin and Anna scanned the cave for Raps. She almost gave up and started heading out thinking maybe Rapunzel had already made her way to the picnic tables when she spotted her leaving the same cave Elsa had followed her Uncle into earlier. Sure enough, she could spot Elsa's platinum hair shining in the dimness of the secondary tunnel.

 _Woman up_ , Go Go's voice echoed in her head.

Anna debated with herself for a moment. Asking Elsa if she'd like to join them for lunch seemed like a bold move, but Raps had already said she wanted to have lunch with her, and Elsa always ate lunch with her cousin. So it tracked that Elsa would eat lunch with them too... right? That seemed right. _Great. Now you're rambling in your head too_ , she thought to herself. _Okay, you can do this. Just go ask her if she'd like to sit with you_ and _Raps for lunch._ With her mind made up, Anna walked determinedly to the tunnel where Elsa was currently working in. Taking a deep breath and mustering up all her confidence, Anna approached her. The blonde had her hand to the ground, eyes closed, like she was concentrating on what she could feel from the earth.

"Hey, Elsa! What are you - "

"Anna, no! Don't step - "

Whatever it was that Elsa was going to say was drowned out by the sound of air rushing past her ears as the ground under her feet gave way. There wasn't even time to scream, and all Anna knew was that she was falling. Warm air rushed past her and she just hoped she wouldn't be impaled on a stalagmite below.

 _You've really done it this time, Anna,_ she thought. That inexplicable tug within her pulled quickly, and caused her thoughts to turn to Elsa. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact when something suddenly grabbed hold of her before she landed with a soft thump on a pile of fresh, powdery... snow?

 _Wait, how is there snow in the hot spring?_ Anna thought, unable to open her eyes. _I must be dead. There's no way that -_

"Anna? Are you okay?" A panicked voice came from under her ( _I know that voice. I must be in heaven_ ). She felt herself get rolled over and a pair of cold hands cupped both of her cheeks. "Anna, can you hear me? By Ahtohallan's grace, please open your eyes."

Anna slowly obeyed the voice and saw Elsa's face hovering just above her, the light from the hole they'd just fallen through surrounding her head like an angel's halo.

"Am I dead?"

A tinkling laugh reached her ears as a look of relief flooded the face she'd been studying for the last couple of months. Anna decided that she would do whatever she could to hear that laugh all the time.

"No, but it's not without your trying… again," Elsa said. Anna felt one of Elsa's hands release her face and was about to protest when she felt it brush along her jaw. It froze Anna in place. She wanted to ask Elsa a dozen questions, but she found she was at a loss for words.

"ELSA! ANNA! Can you hear me, girls?"

Before she could even register what was happening, Anna was on her feet again, solid ground rock steady beneath her. She looked around and saw that she was back in the hot spring caverns once more, the colors of the fluorescent algae swirling around her, but no sign of ice or snow anywhere. Elsa was shouting up to her uncle above, but she wasn't really hearing anything they were saying.

 _I could have sworn we landed on a pile of_ snow, Anna thought, frowning as she scanned the area once more. _Where did it all go?_

"My uncle said to stay put. He doesn't want you to move in case you have injuries I can't see," Elsa said, coming back over to her. Anna was still looking around the area for traces of what had broken their fall. She looked back up to the hole she'd fallen through. It was the spot that Rapunzel was staring up at earlier; the portion of the cave ceiling that was devoid of the bioluminescent plantlife. She could hear a bunch of her classmates talking excitedly through the opening, probably about how they'd fallen through the cave floor, but her attention was brought back when she felt something cold take her hand.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Anna looked down at her hand being held by Elsa's and then turned her eyes to the blonde. She could feel the unsettled look on her face, but Anna quickly tried to reassure her. "I think I'm good. I feel okay."

"You seem distracted," Elsa clarified.

"I'm just… I thought there was snow…" Anna said, confusion crossing across her face again. "I must have imagined it, I guess. Snow in a hot spring is just crazy sounding."

Elsa frowned at that, but before she could say anything, Rapunzel and her dad came running into the cavern, a medical bag swinging in the Chief Ranger's hand. Relief became apparent on both of their faces when, at first glance, both Elsa and Anna appeared to be fine.

"Could you sit here, Anna?" the large man said, gesturing to a low stone that Anna hadn't noticed before. It was at the exact right height for Anna to use as a seat. "I just want to give you a quick check over to make sure you're okay to transport anywhere."

The ranger did a whole number of tests, checking Anna's reflexes, asking her several questions. He even did that thing with the light where he made her follow it with her eyes to check if she had some sort of concussion. Once he felt like she passed all of his tests, he packed up his kit and stood tall.

"It seems you're just fine to hop into a car on your own," he said with a genuine smile. "Let's go, kiddo. I'll take you to Dr. Max."

"Wait, no! Is that really necessary, Uncle Fred?" Anna said hurriedly. She looked at Raps and Elsa, but they seemed to be in deep conversation several feet away. "You said it yourself, I'm just fine."

"I'm afraid it's protocol," he said sympathetically. "And my dear wife would be very upset with me if I kept this from her."

"Ugh," Anna huffed and brought a hand to her head, closing her eyes for a moment. She felt that tug again, and immediately could tell that Elsa was at her side.

"Anna? Are you okay?" she heard Elsa say in a slightly panicked tone. "What's wrong with her, Uncle?"

"Nothing," Anna answered and then looked up. She saw Elsa quickly relax. "I'm perfectly fine, but Uncle Fred says I still have to go to the doctor… My mom is going to have a meltdown."

* * *

They arrived at Dr. Max's private practice, the only practicing medical office on the island, in quick time. The practice was located in a converted single story home on Main Street near the town's center. The doctor saw Elsa first since he was already familiar with her. Her check up was so quick, Anna wasn't even convinced he did anything. He simply had her follow his finger and checked her pulse, then gave her a clean bill of health. Almost twenty minutes later, the doctor was still checking on multiple of her vital signs.

"Really, Doc. I'm feeling totally healthy. Tip top shape really," Anna said for what felt like the tenth time since she'd fallen through the cave floor.

 _This is what I get for thinking my accident streak was over_ , she thought. _Second reminder to self - never say 'everything is going to be fine.' Don't even think it._

"I will be the judge of that, young lady," the elderly physician said slowly, almost mechanically. He held up a tattered icon card with a range of emoticons displayed over numbers. "Now, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

Dr. Baylen Max was an older gentleman. Anna guessed he was probably well past retirement age, but he was still capable. He was tall and heavy set, with small dark eyes hidden behind round, black rimmed glasses. The little hair that he did have left was shock white and his mouth was so thin that it nearly disappeared when shut. The left breast pocket of his white coat was so stuffed with items, she was sure he had the answer to any medical concern stored within it. The wizened doctor had a calming way of speaking and the sweetest disposition of any medical doctor she had encountered before (and she'd dealt with a lot). If she weren't in such a mood, she'd probably love him.

"Zero," Anna said, trying not to sound irritated, but failing pretty miserably if the amused look on Elsa's face was any indication. "A huge, fat zero, sir. I have no pain."

Dr. Max looked back at his well used icon card with a confused frown, lifting his little round glasses up to squint closely at it. "I don't see a zero on here."

Anna rolled her eyes as Elsa brought a hand to her mouth to hide her grin. Uncle Fred coughed unconvincingly in his corner. "One, doc. My pain… everywhere in my body… is one."

"Very good, very good," the doctor said with a smile. "Now just wait here, I've got to start your file. It's so nice to have new patients."

Just as he shuffled slowly through the double doors toward his office at the back of the room, the front door opened and in bounded a familiar blonde. She was wearing a dark red, leather jacket and her blonde hair was pulled into a similar braid as her younger sister's. The woman immediately ran over to Elsa and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Heavens to Betsy! My dear baby sister, are you quite alright?" Liv said in a spot-on southern belle accent. "Oh she's knee high to a grasshopper! Please don't take her from me!"

Elsa mumbled something into the leather jacket as she tried desperately to free herself from her sister's arms. Liv, however, only held on tighter, practically picking up Elsa as she continued her exaggerated lamentation. Their uncle remained on his chair in the corner, hardly looking up from the magazine he'd grabbed; though, the chuckle said he was quite aware of what was going on and that it was not an uncommon occurrence.

"How could she be taken so young? And she was pretty as a Georgia peach, she was!" Liv finished. Elsa, it appeared, had surrendered to her sister's antics. She had stopped the pounding of her fists on her sister's shoulders and just let her arms hang limply at her sides as Liv held her upright. Without Liv's loud declarations, Elsa's mumbled voice could be heard. "Well I'll be! She lives! Speak, darlin'. What was it you were tryin' to tell us, sweetums?"

Liv finally released Elsa from her grasp and allowed the younger girl to stand on her own two feet. She held Elsa's face in her hands, who finally took a deep breath and opened her eyes to look at her older sister. "I said, 'I hate you.'"

"Well suga' honey iced tea! She's like whiskey in a teacup," Liv exclaimed as she threw the back of her hand over her brow dramatically before pointing an accusing finger at Elsa. "Quit being ugly, darlin'! I have never been so offended in my life! I do declare!"

Elsa let out a massive sigh and rubbed the space between her eyebrows in irritation. Anna, who until this point had been too dumbfounded by the scene to react, burst into a fit of laughter. The younger of the two sisters stared at the redhead in shock, but Liv broke into a huge smile.

"Mission accomplished!" the lively blonde exclaimed, back to using her normal speaking voice. "The atmosphere when I walked in here was far too stuffy. Everyone lives! It's a happy time."

"You always did know how to lighten the mood, Liv," the stoic man in the corner offered as he turned the page in his magazine.

"It is a gift, Uncle," she responded happily. She then turned to Anna. "Anyway - how are you doing? All still in one piece, Anna bear?"

"Ye-yes. I'm good… how did you -"

"I've made friends with Go Go," Liv answered before she could finish ( _third note to self - remember to kill Go Go twice_ ). The blonde pulled out a small notepad and pen. "Now, for official business. As the Head of the Department of Parks and Recreation, there's a few questions I need you to answer."

"Okay. Did you need to wait for my mother?"

"No, no. That won't be necessary," Liv said. "First question - full name?"

"Anna Rae North."

"Date of birth?"

"June 21, 2004."

"Age?"

"Can't you figure that out from the date of birth?"

"I'm not a mathematician, Anna bear," Liv said with a half-smirk very similar to Elsa's, but she was missing that dimple Anna liked so much.

"Fifteen," Anna answered with a chuckle.

"Is this really necessary, Liv?" Elsa interrupted.

"Please, snowbug. Let me do my job," Liv dismissed her quickly. "Business for being in the caves at the time of the incident?"

"Um… school sponsored field trip?"

"Good. Very good," Liv said as she jotted down a few more notes than Anna really thought was necessary for what she'd asked so far. "And what is your favorite food?"

"Liv!" Elsa hissed.

"What is my favorite… I don't understand how that's relevant."

"All in do time, Anna," Liv said nonchalantly. When Anna didn't answer, she raised an imploring eyebrow at her.

"Chocolate," Anna said.

"Noted! That's also Elsa's favorite food."

"Olivia!" Elsa hissed again.

"Next question," the spunky blonde continued, making a checkmark on her notepad and ignoring her younger sister. "Who is your favorite person?"

"My mom, I guess?" Anna said in confusion. "This seems like a very convoluted line of questioning."

"Oh yeah, Anna bear. I completely agree. I should really file a complaint with the department director," Liv said, writing down more notes. Anna opened her mouth to point out that that person was her, but the blonde continued. "Hm… we're going to have to work on that last -"

"Liv!" Elsa nearly shouted. She gave her big sister a glare. "I think you've got enough information for your report, don't you?"

Liv stared her down for a moment before she smiled. "I guess you're right. I can have Uncle Fred fill in the rest of the blanks for me, I guess. Besides, speaking of Moms, Kaira asked me to bring you home right away. She'll probably be upset that I let you dawdle here with Anna."

Elsa sighed again and rolled her eyes. She turned back to Anna. "I'll see you Monday? Try not to put your life in danger before then."

"I don't think you'll have to worry," Anna said, deflating slightly. "After this, my mother probably won't let me out of her sight for the rest of the weekend."

Elsa nodded and headed toward the exit, but Liv gave Anna a sad look and said, "That's too bad. I was hoping I'd be seeing you around the house after this."

"Around the… What do you mean?"

"Liv! You know Kai won't believe it's my fault if we're late. We really should go," Elsa called from the doorway.

"Sisterly duty calls," Liv said and surprised Anna once more by planting a kiss on her head before leaving. "See ya later, Anna bear!"

Once they were alone, Anna turned to Rapunzel's dad. "Is she always like that?"

"Yup."

"Does she have an off switch?"

"If you find it, please let me know."

The front door burst open at that moment and in stormed her mother in a right state of panic. A part of her was holding out hope that her mom would take this incident with some semblance of rational grace. That part was quickly squashed the moment Iduna's eyes landed on hers and Anna saw the immense worry that they held. She turned back to Uncle Fred.

"Tell Raps it was nice knowing her," she said to him and he chuckled in response.


	8. The Bodyguard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**02 December 2019**

Anna never thought she would look forward to the end of a holiday weekend, but after being stuck in the house with only a cell phone as her sole connection to the outside world, school really couldn't come faster. Rapunzel called her a bunch of times and Kristoff texted her throughout the weekend, but she just needed to get out. Anna hoped she'd never get stuck in an extended quarantine type of scenario. If four days drove her crazy, she didn't know what she would do if she was stuck at home for longer (probably start talking to the paintings on the walls out of desperation).

After her mother triple checked Dr. Max's medical assessment and somehow got privy to his personal cell phone number, she brought Anna home and doted on her. There were times when Anna appreciated it - when she's sick, and about five to seven days out of each month - but this was not one of those times. She glanced at the clock. In about seven minutes it would be late enough that it wouldn't be suspiciously early to leave for the day.

"Anna sweetie, is someone picking you up for school?"

"No, why?" She asked and looked up from her bowl of Fruity Pebbles. Her mother was looking out of the living room window to the front yard.

"Because there's a rather attractive girl with a sparkling white Audi sitting out on the front curb."

"WHAT?" Anna shouted as she ran to see what her mother was looking at. Sure enough, Elsa was leaning against her car, leisurely browsing on her phone.

"Oh, is that Elsa? She's quite beautiful, Anna," her mother smirked at her. "Well done."

Anna had known since she was very young that her preferences were… unconventional ( _ew, why isn't there a better word for this?_ ). She had asked her mother about it one night over dinner when she was in the second grade.

" _Mama, there's this boy at school and when I look at him, I get a funny feeling here," she had said, pointing to her stomach._

" _It sounds like you have a crush, little duck," Iduna said with a smile._

" _Do girls ever get that feeling for other girls?"_

" _Yes. Being gay is just as natural," Iduna said. She wanted to make sure she was raising an open-minded daughter who accepted others and their differences._

" _What's gay?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity._

" _It's a general term for when girls like girls or boys like boys," her mother said after a moment of careful consideration. "Though, really it's much more complicated than that. We can discuss it more when you're older."_

_Anna nodded and Iduna watched as she pushed her mac and cheese around the bowl before voicing another burning question. "Do people ever get that feeling for both boys and girls?"_

" _Mmhm. They're called bisexual. It's also just as natural," Iduna said simply._

" _Ok good! Because there's also this girl at school, and when I look at her I feel the same thing," Anna said with a relieved smile. "Can we have ice cream for dessert?"_

 _Iduna blinked and observed her daughter carefully as she began eating the rest of her dinner with more enthusiasm than only a moment before._ " _Anna darling, always remember that I love you no matter what."_

" _I love you, too!" she said through her final mouthful of pasta. "So about that ice cream?"_

And that was that. Anna had never felt the need to hide anything from her mother after that night. And her mother was always supportive of whichever boy or girl she was interested in over the years. Her enthusiasm at encouraging Anna's young love life was endearing most of the time, but this morning, it just made her more flustered than ever.

"Mom!... Don't... Just don't!"

"Don't what?"

"Ugh! You know what I mean!" Anna shouted, pulling her shoes on as she stuffed her binder into her backpack and falling over in the process.

"I really haven't a clue," Iduna said with a knowing smile at Anna's scowl. She headed into the kitchen to clean up the bowl she was sure Anna had forgotten about. "Be safe. I love you."

"I love you, too," Anna mumbled just loud enough for her mother to hear before she walked out of the door as gracefully as she could. Much to her chagrin, her attempts at grace failed her as she nearly slipped on that blasted bottom stair of the front door landing. "Dang step! Every time."

"Good morning," Elsa, who looked like she was trying very hard not to smile too widely at Anna's latest display of clumsiness, greeted as she approached.

"G'morning. What are you doing here?"

"Taking you to school."

"Why?" Anna asked, squinting at her skeptically.

"You seem rather accident prone," Elsa said as she opened up the passenger side door. "This way I can ensure you arrive safely."

Anna felt her ears burn and she willed, in vain, for the color to not make it down to her cheeks. She looked away from Elsa, hoping she wouldn't see.

"Okay, thank you," she said before sliding into the car. She waited for the other girl to get into the driver's seat. "And I'm not accident prone. Nature just hates me."

Elsa froze as she put on her seatbelt and turned her gaze to the younger girl. "Nature is not capable of hatred."

"Well, my whole life, nature has seemed to have it out for me. I slipped on ice in the middle of _summer_ in Tahoe, got my foot caught in a sinkhole when we were living in the Caribbean, was caught in a freak mudslide at camp when I was ten, and got lost in the woods during a wind storm that nearly ended up with me crushed by a blown over tree on Halloween. This month _alone,_ I essentially drowned in the Dark Sea _and_ fell through the floor of a cave above a hot spring," Anna listed off in one very long breath. " _And_ I've been stung by more bees than statistically probable! If that doesn't sound like nature has an extreme dislike for me, I don't know what does."

"It sounds like you and Nature are out of sync," Elsa said thoughtfully, eyes focused on the road. "Have you spurned her in some way?"

"By virtue of being born, perhaps?" Anna joked and Elsa's eyes flickered in her direction momentarily. "You speak about nature as if she were a friend."

"You could say that," Elsa responded with a smile as she pulled into the student lot and backed into her usual parking spot.

"And what could I say about us?" Anna asked, almost imperceptibly quiet. She was focused on her hands fidgeting in her lap, afraid of looking at the girl behind the wheel of the car.

"I've decided to relent," Elsa said definitively, and Anna looked up to meet her eyes, her own bright teal ones laced with confusion. "It seems staying away from you is detrimental to your well being. At least that's what Nature keeps trying to tell me."

Anna looked at her intensely for a moment. Despite revealing quite a bit, she noticed the blonde didn't really answer her question, but she decided to let it slide for now. "You are an enigma, Elsa Aren, but I'll figure you out yet."

"Let's hope not too quickly. As I said before, I should hate to be predictable," Elsa responded, but offered her own half smile back, left dimple making an appearance. "But we should go. People are staring."

"Wait. What?" Anna asked as she followed Elsa's gaze through the windshield to see that some people were indeed looking their way. She felt her cheeks flush again. "Is it because of the caverns incident? Ugh… they're probably all talking about how the dorky new girl can't even walk without causing a disaster, aren't they?"

"They're more likely staring because the cute new girl has been given a ride to school by the Ice Queen of Arendelle High," Elsa said as she opened her door.

 _Did she just call me cute?_ Anna followed quickly out of the passenger side, face burning even brighter after the comment. Elsa didn't even get to press the lock button on her key fob before a perky blonde came skipping over.

"Good morning, Anna! I'm glad to see you're okay," Rapunzel said before she turned knowing, emerald eyes to her cousin and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Elsie."

"Elsie?" Anna asked with unconcealed amusement at the nickname.

"Cousin," Elsa said with a nod at the other blonde, ignoring Anna's comment and rolling her eyes at Rapunzel's sickly sweet smile. "Something you need?"

"Oh, no. Nothing. Just wondering if your little… quandary has been resolved?" She asked as her eyes flickered quickly to Anna, the sugary smile growing bigger the more Elsa's irritation seemed to grow.

"Insufferable," Elsa said through gritted teeth.

"Really?" Rapunzel frowned, genuinely surprised. "I would have thought - "

"No, not the quandary. _You_ ," Elsa said pointedly.

"Dear cousin, you wound me," Rapunzel said with a hand flying to her chest, though she didn't seem hurt at all.

"What quandary?" Anna asked.

"Oh, you see Elsa here - "

"It's nothing," Elsa said, cutting Rapunzel off. The yellow haired girl shot her cousin another knowing smile before heading off to find Eugene, telling the girls she'd see them later. Elsa turned back to Anna. "We should go. The bell will ring soon."

They walked into the building, but when they reached the stairwell, Elsa began climbing them with her even though Anna was pretty certain that Elsa's first period today was on the first floor (no, she's not a stalker). She looked at the blonde in confusion.

"You're walking me to class?" Anna asked. Elsa just nodded at her. "But don't you have AP Lit with Ms. Beaumont?"

Okay, maybe she's a little bit of a stalker.

"You never know what trouble might befall you on your way. Even if we are indoors," Elsa said with a smirk. As if to prove her point, a door swung outward into Anna's walking path, but Elsa's arm shot out just in time to stop her from colliding with it. The blonde winked at her, that half smile and single dimple making a mockery of anything else that might think itself alluring. "See what I mean?"

"Yeah yeah," Anna said, rolling her eyes and continuing on her way while trying to hide the blush that once again swept across her cheeks when Elsa smiled at her. Elsa saw it though and continued to smile until they reached Anna's classroom. Anna caught Rapunzel's eye through the door, and tried to ignore the glint in her best friend's eyes. Anna turned to Elsa who also seemed to be looking at her cousin with an annoyed frown, but gave her attention to Anna instantly. "Thanks… you know. For the ride and walking me to class and protecting me from a door… and for the Dark Sea… and the caves. I still don't know how we made it out unscathed."

"You don't have to thank me, Anna," Elsa said earnestly. Anna was pretty certain her name had never sounded so beautiful. "I'll meet you right here after class."

Anna blinked in surprise. "Your class is on the other side of the school. Surely I can make it to the next class just fine."

"I'll meet you right here," Elsa said again with a wink. Anna thought her knees might give out. She was sure that she would say something embarrassing if she were to open her mouth again, she decided to just nod.

* * *

True to form, Elsa was already waiting outside of the classroom when Anna and Rapunzel finally stepped out.

"Wait. How did you…" Anna started but stopped when Rapunzel laughed loudly beside her. She looked over at the bubbly, blonde girl who was shaking her head at Elsa.

"I'm _so_ telling Kaira and Liv all about this," Rapunzel said, still laughing as they all made their way down the hall.

"And _I'll_ tell Auntie Ari where you _really_ were last Tuesday."

Rapunzel's face fell instantly. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me," Elsa challenged.

"Ugh, fine," Rapunzel said in defeat, but suddenly her eyes brightened. She smirked at Elsa with a somewhat wolfish grin. "I'm sure Kai will figure it out anyway."

Anna noticed Elsa's already pale skin blanch, but Elsa quickly shook her head. "She wouldn't do that."

"She doesn't have to read your mind to know what you've been up to," Rapunzel said matter-of-factly.

"Rapunzel!" Elsa whispered harshly, eyes wide.

"What?" Raps asked. The more bubbly of the two blondes stopped since they had reached her next classroom, her eyebrows scrunched at being reprimanded by her cousin. Rapunzel's eyes flickered momentarily to Anna and the ginger could see recognition dawn in her eyes. "Oh, you haven't… Ah… Okay, well… See you two at lunch!"

Rapunzel scurried into her classroom and Anna shook her head fondly as they continued on to Anna's fourth period class. "What are we supposed to do with that girl?"

"I could have her dispatched, if you wish?"

"What!? No no, I mean…" Anna said appalled, but stopped at the sight of that smirk that seemed to be becoming a regular feature on Elsa's gorgeous face. At least, a regular feature when they were together. "Oh, you're joking."

"It's good to see I'm still not predictable," Elsa said. When they stopped in front of Anna's classroom, Elsa ran a hand through her bangs nervously before it settled on fussing with the charms of her necklace ( _that's a cute nervous tick_ ). "I was wondering if you would like to join us for lunch today?"

"Oh… um. Yeah, sure," Anna said, taken aback by the offer.

"Unless you'd prefer to sit with your usual group?"

"No!.. I mean yes, I enjoy having lunch with them. They're great… Kristoff and Ryder can be gross sometimes… I mean, boys, am I right? But otherwise, they're a fun group. And Honeymaren is a sweetheart -"

Anna was cut off when Elsa pressed one, slender finger over her mouth, and she nearly shuddered at the contact. She saw Elsa's eyes stare briefly over her shoulder, but then a small smile lighted on Elsa's face and made her heart flutter. "As much as I like listening to you ramble, the bell is going to ring. You don't have to decide now, and if you'd prefer to sit at your usual table, I won't be offended. I'll meet you here after class and we can walk to the cafeteria together no matter what you decide. Sound okay?"

"Sounds great," Anna answered honestly when Elsa pulled her hand away. She watched Elsa turn the corner just as the warning bell rang. Today was turning out to be both the most confusing yet most wonderful day since she'd moved to Arendelle. Elsa's sudden change of behavior was perplexing to say the least, but she wasn't going to complain. Anna would figure out what it all meant eventually.

"So you and Elsa, huh?" Kristoff said when she sat down, startling Anna out of her thoughts. His tone gave her pause and she turned to look at him with a questioning frown. "Are you like… friends now or something?"

Anna hesitated. This was one of those things she was trying to muddle through before he interrupted her thoughts. However, Elsa did say in the car that she'd 'decided to relent' ( _whatever that meant_ ). "Friends. Yeah, I think so."

"You were pretty sure she hated you just last week," Kristoff responded bitterly.

"I was wrong," Anna said with a small shrug, choosing to ignore her friend's barely concealed animosity. "I told you what happened at the caves. I mean, it's kind of hard not to be friends after going through something like that together."

Kristoff let Anna's words sink in before he nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Just… be careful okay? They call her the Ice Queen for a reason."

* * *

"Seriously, how are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" Elsa asked, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

"Getting to my classrooms so fast! It doesn't take me _that_ long to gather my things," Anna said emphatically and began walking side by side with the blonde toward the cafeteria. "Yet here you are! Have you been leaving your classes early?"

"Certainly not. I can just be very quick when I want to be."

"Superhumanly quick it would seem," Anna said. She noticed after a couple steps that Elsa was no longer at her side and turned around to see that she had frozen in place. Anna spotted a slight look of turmoil in the girl's eyes and the furrow of her brow. "Elsa? Is something wrong?"

Elsa blinked a couple times. "Hm? Oh, no. Sorry, I just thought… It's nothing really."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked with concern, turning to continue walking beside Elsa who had started to move again.

"Very much," she answered definitively before changing the subject. "Have you decided about lunch?"

"Mmhm. I'd love to have lunch with you today," Anna said, nodding before quickly adding, "and Raps and Flynn too, of course."

Elsa lit up at her answer, and Anna found that she wanted to see this look on Elsa more often. While the blonde was always gorgeous, she usually had a polished, stoic exterior that reached a level of regality that any hardened royal should wish to obtain. It wasn't difficult to see just why the student body referred to her as the Ice Queen. Now though, Elsa seemed softer and warmer than Anna had ever seen before.

 _This must be what Raps was referring to that day in the forest. Elsa really_ isn't _cold and aloof_ , she thought.

"Hey, Anna bear!"

"Must you call me that at school, Raps?"

"Yes."

Anna rolled her eyes as she took a seat to Elsa's right, across from Flynn. The senior swallowed a mouthful of food and gestured to Anna.

"Finally decided to join us, Gingersnap? What kept you away for so long? Wait... let me guess. Was it my intimidatingly good looks?" Flynn said before he sent her his signature smolder. Rapunzel all but literally melted. Anna thought he kind of looked constipated.

"What is it with everyone in this town and nicknames? Anna bear… Gingersnap… Feisty Pants… Does Anna not suit me?" she said to no one in particular.

"Who calls you 'Feisty Pants?'" Elsa asked as she ate her salad.

"Just Kristoff," Anna answered. She saw Elsa's head turn slightly in the direction of her usual table and noticed the small frown on her face. _Is she jealous?_ The thought, as ridiculous as it sounded a second later, made her do a little dance inside. Anna decided to ease Elsa's thoughts, though. "I think he mostly does it to annoy me. It's fine, I give him a hard time about a reindeer being his best friend."

"You mean Sven? Kristoff still has him?" Flynn asked.

"Yeah. You've met Sven?"

"I was there when Kristoff found him."

"You've never told me this," Rapunzel said curiously.

"We were best friends, remember? This was like…" Flynn trailed off in thought, tapping his chin with one finger. "Third grade, maybe? We found this calf trapped in a thorn thicket, and Kristoff nursed him back to health. He's always had a thing with animals. Well, at least reindeer. He always said the other animals had weird accents."

"How can animals have accents?" Anna giggled, popping a grape into her mouth.

"Didn't he tell you?" Flynn asked. Anna shook her head, continuing to eat her meal. "Kristoff's got a gift for animals not too unlike Raps' gift for healing or Els-OW!"

"Oops! Sorry, babe!" Rapunzel said. Flynn was rubbing his leg and Anna assumed that she'd kicked him. "I was adjusting and my foot must have slipped."

Anna frowned as she considered his words. They were nonsensical and a bit confusing. She was just about to ask Flynn to continue his explanation when Elsa recaptured her attention.

"So your mom kept you in the house all holiday?"

"Ugh… yeah," Anna said. "I thought I was going to go nuts, but she bought lots of chocolate to compensate. This is not the first time I've been put on house arrest after an incident like this. She's well versed in how to keep me occupied."

"That seems like a big reaction for something that was out of your control," Elsa said.

"Yeah, well she can be a little superstitious. Which I know sounds like a weird way to describe a scientist," Anna shrugged. "Something about the 'will of nature' that my grandmother used to tell her. Mom pretends to brush it off and she doesn't _think_ she's superstitious in the slightest, but deep-seated lessons and all that I guess."

The table grew quiet for a moment as the two cousins seemed to share a look. Flynn had turned around and was joking with some of the other guys from the hockey team sitting at the table beside them. Eventually, Rapunzel was the one to break the moment of quietude.

"My mom said that yours grew up in Alaska. On the mainland, right?" Raps asked casually. Anna nodded in confirmation. "But you've never visited her hometown?"

"No, I'd never been to Alaska before moving here," Anna said. She frowned as realization dawned on her. "I don't actually know what her hometown is. I've never thought to ask."

 _Why_ have _I never asked? Am I really that self-absorbed?_

"You're not self absorbed."

Anna started and looked at Elsa. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"It was written all over your face," Elsa answered with that smirk as the bell rang. "Also, you just said that out loud."

"I'm such a dork," Anna muttered under her breath.

* * *

The drive to Anna's house after school was quiet, save for the music. It was some obscure indie artist that Anna didn't know, but it was just as relaxing as the classical music that was playing after the incident on the Dark Sea. Today had been the most interesting school day she's had since moving to Arendelle and the five minute silent car ride home felt like an anticlimactic end. When Elsa pulled into the driveway, she seemed to hesitate before turning the car off and opening her door, Anna following suit. Anna watched as Elsa rounded the car to meet her.

"Are you… walking me to the door?" Anna said, amusement clear on her face.

"As I said this morning, you never know what trouble might befall you," Elsa answered, meeting Anna's smile with her own. "Think of it as civic duty. I _am_ a sister to the mayor."

"Oh, I get it now. Buttering up the newcomers to ensure our vote," Anna said. She was starting to get used to this playful banter with the blonde.

"Among other reasons."

As they approached the end of the short walkway leading up to the porch, Anna felt Elsa's cold touch on her wrist. It sent a shiver up her arm, but not from the temperature of Elsa's skin. Almost instinctively, she read what Elsa's touch meant, causing Anna to stop and turn to face her. An involuntary gasp escaped Anna's mouth when she realized how close they were standing and Elsa smirked, effectively turning Anna's knees to jelly.

"Anna?" Elsa said quietly.

"Ye-yeah?" Anna answered, gazing up at Elsa and getting lost in the deep oceans of her eyes.

"Mind that bottom step," Elsa said as she took a step back.

"Huh?" Anna blinked out of her small trance. "Oh! Heh. Yeah, I'm not sure what it is about that step. Thanks for the reminder."

Anna skipped the bottom stair this time and opened up the front door before she turned back to the blonde. "So… Um… thanks for the ride."

"You don't have to thank me every time," Elsa said in earnest. She gave a small wave and turned to walk back to her car.

"Every time?" Anna called after her. Elsa turned around and smirked once more. Anna was pretty sure now that Elsa knew exactly what this smile did to her.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow. Same time."


	9. The Afternoon Cocoa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**11 December 2019**

After almost two weeks, Anna's life quickly fell into a new pattern. Ride to school with Elsa and walk to the first class with her. Sit with Kristoff or Rapunzel during her morning classes. Sometimes walk between periods with Elsa (after convincing the blonde she didn't need to be escorted _everywhere_ ). Alternate who she ate lunch with daily (her original lunch group on days ending with chemistry and her newer lunch group on days ending with choir). Then there was AP Bio before the last period of the day where she would sneak glimpses of Elsa and sometimes catch her looking back. Finally, everyday ended with getting dropped off at home by Elsa.

And it was terrific.

While their interactions were still often stilted, the quiet moments between them were some of Anna's favorites. Which spoke volumes as quiet moments are usually when the ginger girl felt most uncomfortable. However, with Elsa, the contemplative moments in between felt natural and were what Anna found herself reflecting on most often. They were the times where Anna most felt like there could be more to their friendship.

"Earth to feisty pants. Come in, feisty pants," Kristoff said, mouth covered by a hand to simulate the muffled voice coming through a walkie and pulling Anna out of her thoughts.

Anna rolled her eyes dramatically. "Stop calling me 'feisty pants,' Reindeer Man."

"And why would I do that when it always manages to get your attention?" he teased.

Anna shook her head and stirred her pudding cup. "What was it that you were saying?"

"I was asking if you wanted to partner with me on that dialogue project for Spanish?" he asked. When Anna only stared blankly at him, he rolled his eyes. "You know? The one Señora Martin assigned at the end of class. We're supposed to create some sort of short skit en Español about the importance of maize in latin culture."

 _Oh, that must have been when I was trying to think of a way to find out if Elsa might maybe, possibly, in some way like-like me,_ she thought. _Ugh! Stop, Anna. This isn't second grade._

"Yeah, that sounds good," is what she voiced instead. She felt a small pull in her chest and instinctively turned her head to look at her other lunch table. Elsa was looking her way and gave her that now ever present smirk. Anna smiled back at her.

"Great. Want to work on it this weekend? We can meet at Oaken's and knock it out over some coffee or something?"

"Huh?" Anna turned to look back at him. She gave her head a tiny shake to try and rid her cheeks of the blush she was sure was there. "Oh, yeah. That's fine. Saturday morning?"

Kristoff glanced to his right just as Elsa looked away again and started chatting with her cousin. He turned back to Anna, his facial expression slightly off from its usual cheeriness. "Yeah, Saturday morning works."

The bell rang then, warning the students that homeroom would begin in five minutes. They gathered their things and said goodbye to the Nova twins as they made their way to the Biology lab. The walk felt awkward, but Anna tried not to think much of it. Kristoff had other ideas.

"So… you and the Ice Queen," he said. It wasn't a question and Anna waited for him to continue. He didn't elaborate.

"She's not an 'Ice Queen,'" Anna responded, working to keep the irritation from her voice.

"Yeah, okay," he said back, failing to keep the irritation from his. "But you and Elsa are…?"

"Friends," Anna said, a little dejectedly. "We're just friends."

"But you want to be more," Kristoff said, his voice definitive as he worked it out clearly. Anna didn't say anything, she didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want to voice her hopes aloud. It would make it too real and undeniable then. Kristoff read her silence and sighed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned toward her. "I understand. I was hoping that maybe you and I… But that's okay. The heart wants what it wants. I _would_ like it if we could at least be friends, at least what we were before I let it get… awkward."

"I would like that too," Anna responded honestly. She did like the guy. He was sweet and thoughtful, even if he did smell like a barn sometimes.

"Good," Kristoff said with a smile. "But I'm going to be honest with you… Until it's official, I'm not going to give up hope."

He didn't give her a chance to respond, and turned to go into their classroom; leaving Anna to stew in the implications of his statement. If she were honest with herself, Kristoff Bjorgman was the kind of guy she could see herself with. He had a kind disposition and good sense of humor, didn't take himself too seriously, and was easy on the eyes. It was just unlucky for him that he happened to live on the same island as Elsa Aren.

"That looked intense."

Anna jumped, bringing a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm the sudden thumping of her heart. "Geeze, Raps. Don't sneak up on a girl like that."

"Sorry," Rapunzel said, trying to stifle a giggle. She glanced through their classroom doorway, catching a glimpse of the blonde boy. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing, really," Anna said. Her best friend gave her a questioning look as they took their seats at their shared lab table. "He was just… voicing an opinion, but it's nothing."

* * *

"You're rather quiet today," Elsa said as she slowly eased the burette containing their titration solution into a slow, dropwise release. "Something on your mind?"

"Hm? Oh no… I mean, I guess? But it's nothing really," Anna said, using the excuse of carefully observing the color change of their sample to not make eye contact with her lab partner.

"Hm." Elsa stood aside while Anna took notes. There was quiet between the two of them again as Anna adjusted their stir plate speed. Once their solution changed color, Elsa broke the silence once more. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to Oaken's after school?"

"Oh dang it!" The question had thrown Anna for a loop. Her hand jerked slightly, dotting her notebook with ink droplets from her fountain pen. She looked up at Elsa, startled confusion clear in her expression. "I'm sorry. What?"

Elsa gave her a little smirk, but it faltered slightly. "This lab report is going to require the use of both sets of our notes. I thought maybe we could go to Oaken's and complete it together over some hot chocolate."

"Oh... Um…"

"Unless you are busy after school -"

"No!" Anna said loudly. All the heads in the room turned toward them and Anna felt her cheeks color. "Sorry. Nothing to see here. Everything is perfectly perfect."

Some of their classmates laughed. They had come to expect this kind of behavior from the quirky new girl. Their teacher eyed them carefully, but turned back to his computer when he saw no immediate concerns. Concerns like fire… Anna had started many fires in this class already.

"Ah-heh. Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. I just meant 'no, I don't have anything after school,'" Anna said once everyone's attention was back on their own benches. She cleared her throat to ease her nerves. "I'd love to go to Oaken's."

"Okay good. Then…" Elsa paused slightly. Her smile was small and hesitant, but it brightened her already radiantly blue eyes. "It's a date."

Anna's mouth was partially open, eyes wide. _Did I hear that right?_ _Don't make it weird, doofus._ She nodded. "Okay. Yeah… good. A… a date."

* * *

"Two hot chocolates, extra whip cream, ya?" Oaken said as he dropped off two steaming oversized mugs. "And a plate of lacey biscuits."

"Oh I don't think we ordered cookies," Anna said politely.

"Oh no, dear. On the house," the extra large, festive sweater clad behemoth said with a smile. "Miss Elsa's favorite treats. Enjoy girls. Just shout if you need anything, ya? Oh, be careful. It's piping hot."

Anna had immediately picked up her mug and taken a big gulp. "Nope! It's perfect."

The two girls nodded and said thank you to the kind man. His size was rather intimidating, but Anna soon learned that there was no one sweeter in town than Oaken Tryggberg. He always liked to sneak her an extra treat (when her mother wasn't looking, of course) whenever they stopped in.

"Where is Oaken from originally?"

"Norway," Elsa said as she pulled out her lab notebook. "But he and his husband moved here a long time ago. I think they've been here since before even my oldest sister was born."

Anna nodded in understanding while she pulled out her chemistry materials and her pen. She reached over to grab a cookie, not looking as she turned the pages in her notebook. She felt a small shock and pulled her hand back. Elsa, it appeared, had also been reaching for one of the chocolate biscuits when their hands grazed.

"Static?" Anna said, ears burning.

"Likely," Elsa responded. "It is December in Alaska... The air is cold and dry. So you know the perfect combination of factors for static buildup… Plus, it's always a little windy during winter here. So that adds to it…"

"You're rambling," Anna said, her smile amused as she watched a slight pink bloom beneath the light dusting of freckles across Elsa's nose and ridiculously high cheekbones.

"You must be rubbing off on me," Elsa countered playfully. "Should I be concerned?"

"Potentially," Anna said. "But only when your inside thoughts unknowingly start becoming outside thoughts."

"Ah, you mean like, 'don't make it weird, doofus?'" Elsa questioned, eyebrow raised and that smirk back in place like she had the upper hand in the conversation once more. Anna tilted her head slightly, the question clear in her eyes. "You said it during chemistry. After I asked you on this date."

 _Oh yeah. You really are a doofus, Anna. Wait… did you say that out loud?_ The look on Elsa's face indicated that she managed to keep _those_ thoughts inside at least. Anna blinked several times before an embarrassed smile cracked open on her face. "I am such a dork. How can you even stand it?"

Elsa shrugged and looked back to her notebook. "I find it most endearing."

Anna was thankful that Elsa wasn't looking because her face felt like it was burning hotter than their steaming cups of cocoa. She grabbed a cookie and began working on her lab report. The easy quiet fell between the two of them as they worked diligently on their homework together, occasionally breaking the peace to clarify a data point or double check each other's calculations. Oaken checked on them a couple of times, his friendly smile only minimally betraying his clear interest in their relationship, but Anna tried not to pay too much attention to it.

"You know," Elsa started once they'd gotten most of their work done. She set her notebook aside, letting Anna know without words that it was time for a well deserved break. "I don't think I've ever asked you how you've been liking Arendelle. You've been here over two months now, right?"

"Just over two months, yeah," Anna said with a nod, setting her pen down and taking another cookie. "And it's been wonderful. I honestly didn't expect to like Alaska in the slightest."

"Oh?" Elsa said, one perfect eyebrow raising effortlessly in question. Her left hand instinctively went to her necklace and she fingered the charms that hung from the thin chain.

"Mmhm," Anna responded, taking a sip of her cooling beverage. "I'm generally a fan of warmer climates. I get cold fairly easily and I've never lived in the snow before. So I was a little worried that adjusting would be difficult, but it's proven to be wonderful so far. Arendelle is beautiful and I never thought I'd love snow so much."

Both girls glanced outside at the gentle flurry seen through the large, decorated window. Anna was being honest, she was getting used to the cold weather; though, she still found it hard to untangle herself from her blanket burrito that always seemed to twist around her during sleep. The cold air in the mornings was definitely not her favorite. However, she would admit that she _was_ looking forward to her first ever "white Christmas." It seemed Arendelle really went all out with their festivities. Decorations had started going up the day after Thanksgiving; twinkling lights adorned all the storefronts, everyone's houses were expertly trimmed in unspoken competition between neighbors, and a very large tree was currently being decorated in the town square just beside the quaint little gazebo.

"There's a beauty in the snow that I never considered before," Anna continued as she watched the frozen fractals float past the window. Her voice became wistful as she spoke. "I always thought the most beautiful thing in nature I would ever see was the sunset over the Pacific on a clear, Californian summer night. The calming lull of the waves crashing on the shore. The way the pinks and oranges reflect on the water with the westward breeze behind your back and sand beneath your feet. I'm pleasantly surprised to be wrong."

Anna turned her eyes back to Elsa and had to consciously keep from gasping aloud as her breath caught in her chest. Elsa was watching her so intently. If Anna wasn't mistaken, she'd interpret the look in her eyes to be complete adoration. It made her ears burn again and she gave Elsa a shy smile. The blonde blinked, now aware that she had been caught staring.

"You have a way with words," Elsa said quietly. "I could imagine it perfectly. It sounds wonderful."

"It really is," Anna said. She took a beat, gathering her courage to be a little forward. Anna smiled again. "I do miss it at times, but I'm pretty happy with where I am right now."

Elsa smiled back. The bell above the door chimed in the background and Anna shivered as the cold from outside swept through briefly. She noticed her lab partner ( _yes, just lab partner right now. Don't push it_ ) sit up a little straighter when her eyes flicked quickly to the newcomer. Anna was about to turn to see who might have entered the cafe at that moment, but was saved the trouble when someone approached them.

"Hello, girls. Enjoying your afternoon?"

Anna glanced up at the Mayor. She was looking classically beautiful with her hair down, dressed in an elegant peacoat over her navy pantsuit. A shimmer caught Anna's attention and she noticed that the older sister wore gold earrings that matched the diamond symbol that hung on Elsa's necklace. Mayor Aren smiled warmly at both of them, though Anna caught a glint in her eye that somehow made the ginger feel like she'd been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Anna nodded at the older woman. "Good afternoon, Mayor Aren."

"Please call me Kaira, Anna," she said kindly. Anna wasn't sure how to respond, still slightly embarrassed that they'd been stumbled upon by one of Elsa's sisters, so she just nodded again.

"Hey, Kai," Elsa said, her voice just slightly higher than it was a moment ago. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing by on my way back to the office and found I fancied a cup of Oaken's cocoa," the refined Mayor answered her younger sibling. A quiet moment passed between the two sisters and Anna thought she saw Kaira give Elsa a quick wink. "How fortuitous it was that I should run into you two here."

"Yes, quite," Elsa responded, almost curtly.

Kaira turned her smile back to Anna. "Are you attending the tree lighting this weekend, Anna? It's simply magical to witness."

"Oh! I wasn't aware that the town did a tree lighting."

"It's a big event for City Hall, snowbug. I'm disappointed you haven't mentioned it yet." Kaira turned to her younger sister, a stern yet questioning expression on her face. The two blondes seemed to argue silently, much to the amusement of Anna. She vaguely recalled a similar situation between the two elder Aren sisters upon first meeting them. She figured it must be a sister bond thing that she'd never understand. After a couple minutes, Elsa sighed and turned to Anna.

"It's on Saturday evening. My sister is right, it's a wonderful event," Elsa said. "I was planning on asking if you'd like to go... With me, I mean. If you don't already have plans."

"I don't have plans," Anna replied quickly before smiling. "I'd love to go with you."

"Good. It's settled then," Kaira said, her mayoral smile widening into a much more genuine one. "I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, little one. Be sure to dress warm. Winter nights in Arendelle can be quite unforgiving."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Mayor…" Anna started, but stopped herself at Kaira's raised eyebrow. "Kaira... Thank you, Kaira."

"A hot cocoa for the Mayor, ya?" Oaken said as he walked over and handed her the to-go cup.

"Thank you, Oaken," Kaira said before he shuffled off. She turned to her younger sister once more, sending her another prolonged, meaningful look before giving her parting words. "Olivia has already heard through the grapevine, snowbug. Just a fair warning."

Elsa visibly blanched at the information and Anna caught a smirk on the older sister's face that reminded her very much of the girl sitting across from her. She remembered the energetic middle sister sending her a similar one during their first encounter and at the doctor's office as well. It seemed this alluring half-smile was just as genetic as their gorgeous features.

"What did she mean about Liv?" Anna asked once the mayor left them.

"That she knows we're here together." Elsa slightly deflated before raising her eyebrows pointedly. "You've met her twice now."

"I think I know what you're getting at," Anna said as she thought back to her experiences with Elsa's other sister and grimaced sympathetically before she let a smile through. "But if I'm being honest, I find Liv to be extremely entertaining."

"That's because you don't have to live with her," Elsa grumbled.

"Your sisters are wonderful, Elsa," Anna responded definitively, pulling her notebook back toward herself.

Suddenly, Elsa got a mischievous glint in her eye and her small smile slipped into that smirk that always seemed to make Anna's heart flutter. "But would you say that I'm… wonder _fuller_?"

"Oh shut it, you stinker," Anna retorted playfully, sticking her tongue out at the other girl, but then came that tinkling laugh that gave Anna pause. Elsa's whole face lit up as she gave way fully to the levity of the moment, her laugh a melody that Anna wanted to memorize by rote.

 _Oh boy. Slow your roll, Anna_ , she told herself; thankfully in all inside thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said once her laughter died down. "It was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Yeah, yeah. Just watch yourself, Elsa Aren," Anna said, her mock anger terribly transparent due to the residual smile twitching at the corners of her mouth; the aftereffects of the sweet tone that was Elsa's laugh. She played off her chagrin by getting them back on task. "Now, what was the final volume of titrant used?"

* * *

The ride back to Anna's house was conversation free, as was their usual. The blonde's choice of music today had actually taken Anna by surprise. Taylor Swift's most recent album was not something she would have pegged Elsa to listen to since Anna didn't really think mainstream pop music was her thing. But alas, the title track was playing through the stereo as they pulled up to her house before Elsa turned off her car.

Both girls got out of the car and headed up the short walkway. This had also become part of their pattern, but Anna wasn't one to complain about being walked to her door. It felt chivalrous really, like a knight leading her princess.

"This was nice," Anna said. She snuck a sideways glance at Elsa and again risked being daringly bold. "We should do it more often."

"I would like that," Elsa said without delay.

The journey from Elsa's car to the house was extremely short lived. Before Anna knew it, they had reached the three short steps that led up to her front door. She turned back to Elsa who looked a little more on edge than usual, her arms were wrapped loosely around her torso and she was looking at her boots instead of at Anna.

"I had a great time this afternoon."

Elsa finally looked up and met Anna's eye. She seemed to quickly relax, arms falling naturally to her sides and she smiled. "I did too. Thank you for coming with me."

"Good night, Elsa," Anna said after nodding in response to Elsa's comment. She turned toward the house.

"Anna?"

Anna pivoted back to look at her and tried her hand at the half-smile look. "I know - watch the bottom step."

"No, I…" Elsa faltered.

Anna watched as the girl closed her eyes for a heartbeat before she took a deep breath and reopened them on the heavy exhale. Her resolve seemingly in order, Elsa took a step forward. Anna's heart was suddenly beating so furiously she was sure that Elsa would hear it with those pitch perfect ears of hers. She felt the blonde place her right hand on Anna's waist while the left one swept the ginger bangs from her eyes before settling on the side of her neck, Anna's ear nestled between thumb and forefinger.

They had never been this close before, hardly a breath's distance between them. Anna met her eyes then; those eyes that were as bright blue as a perfectly clear sky, but that held a depth as profound as the sea surrounding their small island home. She got lost in them, completely out to sea on those oceanic blue orbs. So afloat, she'd missed the question the blonde had asked her, the world muffled from the blood rushing through her ears.

"Could you repeat that?" Anna asked in nothing more but an airy breath. Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Your... everything is very distracting."

Elsa smirked at that before she repeated herself. "If I may?"

 _Chivalrous, indeed,_ she thought.

"You may," is what she whispered.

And it was fireworks. If Anna had to rank the top five best kisses of her life, this singular moment would take all five spots handily. Granted, this was only her third kiss and she didn't really count one of them, but that didn't diminish the sentiment. It was everything you hoped a first kiss with someone would be. Romantic, sweet, and electric. No, electricity didn't do this justice. There was an energy running through her she'd never known before. It was like, in this moment, she was connecting with something long dormant within her. Nothing mattered right then but this. It felt like time had stopped, and when they finally parted, the world around them had seemed to come to a standstill just for the two of them.

 _Wait, is the snow… motionless?_ Anna looked around them and it seemed like the snow had just stopped falling in midair. She blinked harder and when she reopened her eyes, the light flurry swirled around them once more. _Curious. I must have been imagining things._

She felt Elsa's hand move from her neck to her chin and gently tilt it up. They looked back at each other, the reality of what just happened hitting them both simultaneously. Shy smiles, faint blushes, quiet moments. Everything was perfect. Anna boldly stood on her tiptoes to press another kiss to Elsa's lips, the other girl quickly bending slightly to meet her.

Then the porch light flickered.

The two teens hastily stepped away from each other just as the front door opened. Iduna stood in the doorway, a sly smile on her face. Anna wished the earth beneath her would swallow her whole right then and there.

"Hello, Elsa," Iduna said, causing the blonde to tense at being addressed by Anna's mother for the first time despite the friendly smile she retained. "Your sister Liv just called me. She requests that you return home. I believe her words were, 'post haste, right now.'"

"O-oh. Yes. Thank you, Dr. North," Elsa responded as composed as she could. She looked at Anna, relaxing slightly despite the unease that was clear in her eyes. "I'll pick you up tomorrow. Same time?"

"Mmhm. Good night," Anna said. _I'm going to disown my mother for this._

"Good night," Elsa returned, deciding against any further acts of endearment. She waved awkwardly at the woman at the top of the landing. "Good night, Dr. North."

"Drive safely. Let Anna know when you've made it home. Oh and, Elsa dear?" Iduna called after her. The blonde turned back around to face her again after starting toward her car. "I expect you to come inside next time."

"Ye-yes, ma'am. Of course," Elsa responded, her blush clearly evident even from across the short front yard. She quickly got in her car and drove away slower than Anna knew she probably would have preferred. Once she rounded the corner, Anna turned to go into the house but paused when she saw seriousness on her mother's face despite the teasing smile she still wore.

"Come inside, little duck. We need to talk."

"Ugh. Again?" Anna asked in exasperation as she skipped the bottom step and entered the house. _Must we always have_ this _talk every time?_ Her mother chuckled in response which made Anna grumble. "Please tell me there's at least chocolate."


	10. The Tree Lighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**14 December 2019**

Iduna watched her daughter frantically run about the house, checking under couch cushions and opening drawers all while muttering to herself, retracing her steps since returning from another afternoon with Elsa the day before. Iduna shook her head as she popped a pastry into the toaster. Anna had her keys last night, how she could possibly misplace them in the time between then and now almost everyday was beyond Iduna's comprehension. She should get her one of those keychains that connects to a smartphone. The issue is that Anna misplaces that just as often.

"Found them!" Anna exclaimed, keys clutched triumphantly in her raised fist as she closed the refrigerator door.

Iduna smiled fondly, but also shook her head in disbelief. "How on earth…"

"I remembered I felt peckish when I got home and had grabbed string cheese," Anna answered her mother's unfinished question and adjusted her backpack.

"I'm not sure where I went wrong," Iduna said in jest and her daughter stuck out her tongue in response. The toaster popped just then. Anna immediately grabbed it and scurried off toward the door. "Careful, Anna! That's very hot."

Anna took a big bite and turned back to her mom. "Nah, ish okay."

"Do not talk with your mouth full. I'll be at the Institute most of today. Just call me if you need anything," Iduna informed her. She heard the front door open and called after Anna. "Oh! And I re-salted the front landing and walkway. It's bound to be icy, so be mindful of your step."

"Okay!" Anna said after she swallowed that first mouthful of strawberry-filled pastry. "I'll see you at the tree lighting. Love you!"

"I love you too," Anna heard her mother's voice call from the kitchen before she locked up the house. She held the railing as she descended the front steps. It was indeed slippery, so she decided to walk through the pristine snow blanketing the front yard instead of traversing the walkway. She took a right at the sidewalk, taking her familiar route toward the school.

The Arendelle High campus consisted of three total buildings. The largest was where Anna spent most of her time at school. All the classrooms where lessons dedicated for students in grades nine through twelve were housed there, and it included an auditorium and cafeteria. The middle building was the gymnasium while the smallest building across the lawn was the seventh and eighth grade area. It also contained its own auditorium and cafeteria, if only slightly smaller. Sometimes eighth and ninth graders crossed the lawn between periods depending on how advanced (or behind) they were in their studies. But today, the fresh snow upon it was as unblemished as her lawn had been before she crossed it.

Anna bypassed the learning center, however. Her destination was the beautiful building that was just passed the campus. The Arendelle Public Library was a surprisingly modern building composed of concrete and glass. During her initial tour of the campus, Rapunzel had told her that the library had undergone a big makeover three years ago, making it the most recently renovated building on the island. She had been meaning to visit here since she first saw it, but hadn't gotten a chance. Upon entering, she was quickly disappointed in herself for not coming sooner.

It was beautiful and immaculate inside. Though it was easily the smallest public library she'd ever been in, it felt large somehow. The high, exposed rafters and natural light pouring through the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows created an airy atmosphere. The natural wood tables and grey, squashy-looking chairs strategically placed throughout the space looked inviting and cozy. Along the walls were several standing computer stations for public use and catalogue searching, and Anna could see a colorful room at the back that was separated from the main part of the library by a glass wall. The words above it read "The Lorelai Aren Story Room."

It was quiet this Saturday morning, Anna being one of the few people aside from the librarian at the front desk and a young boy that was restocking books into the stacks. She quietly made her way over to one of the computers and began her search. She had little over an hour to find a few books to help her and Kristoff write up their Spanish assignment before she needed to walk to the town center and meet him at Oaken's. Anna opened up the catalogue program and typed in her search, yielding only three results: _Corn: An American Staple, The History of Maize,_ and _La Peque_ _ñ_ _a Cultivadora De Maíz_.

Anna quickly eliminated the first book as an option and scribbled down the last two call numbers before finding the boy stocking the returned books back to their homes. He was a nervous kid, nearly jumping out of his skin when Anna tapped him gently on the shoulder, but he was helpful. He walked her to the aisle where she could find the first book and informed her that she'd find the other in the room behind the glass wall she'd seen earlier. After grabbing the rather dusty text, she made her way to the back of the library, pushing open the glass door leading into what she quickly realized was the Children's section.

All the furniture was smaller than what was out in the main part of the library. The blue carpeted floor had a large open area for story time in the center with lily pad shaped cushions scattered throughout and a large rocking chair to one side. Once the door sealed behind her, the ambient noise from the main room fell away and Anna guessed that this area was thoughtfully soundproofed for the benefit of everyone. She walked along the rows of short bookcases until she located what she was looking for.

Anna pulled out the slender book. It turned out that it was a storybook about a little girl learning how to grow corn and what the crop means to her culture. Anna shrugged; she might as well check it out; it could prove helpful with writing their skit since it's written in Spanish already. She was about to turn to leave when the book that was next to it caught her eye. It had four glyphs in the shape of slender diamonds trailing end to end along the spine, but what grabbed her attention was that she recognized one of the symbols; the blue one with the teardrop shape above a circle in its center. It matched the necklace that Elsa always wore.

" _Life and Nature - The Tale of the River Born,_ " she read aloud as she pulled it from the shelf. The book was well worn, like it was a popularly chosen book for story time. She ran a hand over the cover where the same diamond symbols from the spine were debossed and foiled in varying metallic colors. Anna checked her watch and nodded. "Yeah, I have time."

Anna settled herself into the rocking chair and cracked open the children's story. The first page showed an ethereal looking woman, light appearing to flow around her. She was wearing a dress that depicted the different seasons of the year fading from one into the next from her shoulders down. It started stark white at the top, fading into a pale blue with snowflakes, then into a deep green littered with multicolored flowers, followed by the golden yellow of a summer sun, until ultimately ending in the oranges and reds of autumn with fallen leaves around the hem. It was the most beautiful depiction of Mother Nature she had ever seen.

"Long ago, there was only nature," Anna read to herself out loud. She turned the page to a drawing of a forest during autumn, "and then humans came along and Nature was pleased."

The next page depicted humans walking amongst the trees of the forest, Nature observing them from afar.

"She blessed the most worthy of humans with her gifts."

A flip of the page revealed the Nature spirit standing in front of four people, a flowing river in the forefront of the image.

"Some were blessed with the power to control earth."

The image of a broad chested man willing mountains up from a flat, barren landscape behind him.

"Some were able to harness the power of the wind."

A woman in a flowy dress floated on the page, legs crossed and hands on her knees as leaves swirled about her.

"Some were gifted the ability to rule fire."

A man with a strong jaw and goatee on a dark page, only his face illuminated by a ball of flames held in his hand.

"And some were given the command over water."

Anna's breath hitched as she turned the next page to see a drawing of a woman with white blonde hair, arms extended to the sky as snow fell around the image. She shook her head and continued to read.

"Together they keep the balance and Nature's Will."

The final page showed Nature as she embraced her four chosen ones. Anna shut the book and looked again at the cover. She couldn't help but think it was a strange children's book. She wasn't sure what lesson young readers were supposed to learn from it. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that the story was somehow familiar. Anna opened the book once more. Her mother's voice echoed in her mind as she looked again upon the image of Nature and the humans next to a river.

_Nature loved these people so much, she gifted them with the magic of her sacred river._

"That's curious," she whispered to herself as she traced the illustrated ripples on the river's surface. She shook her head and continued to flip through the short book of images until she landed on the page of the woman controlling the snow. When she first saw it, her mind was immediately drawn to Elsa. Not only were there physical similarities between Elsa and the drawing, but Anna was certain that snow would always remind her of their first kiss.

And that day in the cave…

Anna frowned as she spotted the bracelet drawn on the woman's wrist. It was the diamond glyph from the cover, the one that matched Elsa's necklace. She quickly flipped through the other pages - a pendant on the choker of the floating woman, a lapel pin on the mountainous man, a signet ring on the hand holding fire. Each one marked with a different symbol that adorned the book's cover. She studied the woman creating snow once more; curiosity got the better of her and she pulled her phone out only to see she had no signal.

"Ugh. Concrete buildings," she muttered in frustration. She gathered up her three books and exited the children's room, settling at the same computer she'd used earlier and pulled up a web browser. Her search was not fruitful at all. The only useful link that she found was to a scholarly work by an anthropologist specializing in folklore and mythology, but even the article was sparse, offering one short paragraph.

_My studies took me to Alaska for a short time, drawn by the tales of the Northuldra people. However, despite my incessant questioning and my insistence that I've heard whispers of the River Born and the existence of nature wielders like Snow Queens and Fire Starters, the people would not confirm anything. Their staunch adherence to the protection of their folklore was unwavering, leaving me both frustrated and overawed._

Anna's attention was drawn to one phrase. She pulled up a new search engine tab and typed in 'Snow Queen / Arendelle, AK.' She got a few more links, but it was still a meager smattering of results. She filtered out the pages pertaining to fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and rumors about a film adaptation by a major animation studio, leaving her mostly with links regarding the history of the small island town and a news article about a sudden freak blizzard in the middle of July about eight years ago. She leaned back in the desk chair with a sigh.

 _What am I even doing? This is irrational,_ she thought, but one more glance at the diamond she guessed was the book's symbol for water rekindled her hunger for information. She opened the library's web page and searched the catalogue for books about the River Born, but came up empty aside from the storybook she already had. Anna changed the parameters of her query to include all media formats. Much to her irritation, the only results that came up were listed under the microfiche archives. She checked her watch, "...yeah, I still have time."

Anna found the boy again, whose name turned out to be Gary and he was finishing some extra credit volunteer hours for his English class. When she asked him to show her the microfiche machines and cartridge catalogue, he gave her a funny look, but didn't ask any questions. Soon enough, she was sitting in front of a massive, archaic machine waiting for the light to warm up, a stack of old cartridges piled on the table next to it. She scrolled through reels and reels of old newspaper articles, town censuses, and historical journals from some of the first settlers, but found very little substantial information. All she really learned was that the story of the River Born was as old as the town itself and that many of Arendelle's oldest files laid claim that the river in the story was none other than the Ahtohallan River. The very river that Rapunzel had taken her to visit weeks ago.

 _What are you even looking for? What are you expecting to find out? That your girlfriend, if she even is that yet, is some sort of superhero?_ Anna looked at the storybook cover again and rolled her eyes internally. _The Dark Sea, the caverns, the inexplicable connection... It's all a coincidence. You're reading into things and letting your imagination run away from you._

Anna pushed the crazy thoughts from her mind, and grabbed her books. As the librarian began the process of issuing her her very own library card, Anna glanced at her watch.

"Oh, shit," she gasped. The obviously disdainful clearing of a throat made her look up at the disapproving, elderly lady currently checking her books out. Anna gave her a sheepish look and whispered an apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how late it had gotten."

She was well over an hour late for her meetup with Kristoff, and she still had the walk to the town's main square between her and there. The librarian only clucked her tongue at her in response and handed her the freshly issued plastic card and her three books. Anna shoved everything into her bag as she hastily exited, barely keeping her pace slower than a run. The moment she stepped out of the main entrance, her phone started buzzing madly in her pocket.

There were several text messages from multiple people, but she opened up the ones from the boy she was supposed to meet first.

 **Kristoff [9:56 AM]:** Hey, I just arrived and got us a table near the fireplace. I know how you get cold easily.

 **Kristoff [10:12 AM]:** I tried ordering you a latte, but Oaken said he's bringing you a hot cocoa instead. LOL.

 **Kristoff [10:34 AM]:** Hey… did you oversleep or something? You still coming?

 **Kristoff [10:47 AM]:** Okay, I'm really worried. I called Rapunzel. No one knows where you are.

 **Kristoff [10:50 AM]:** I'm coming to find you.

Anna opened up the next thread from her best friend.

 **Raps** **[10:48 AM]:** Where are you, Anna Bear?

 **Raps [10:52 AM]:** HELLO?! Answer your damn phone! Everyone is worried.

 **Raps [10:59 AM]:** ANNA RAE I SWEAR... Elsa is FREAKING OUT!

 **Raps [11:37 AM]:** If we don't hear from you soon, we're going to start a town wide search. ANSWER YOUR PHONE!

Anna's heart sank and she cursed the huge concrete building behind her. She checked the call logs on her phone and saw that she'd missed several phone calls from Kristoff, Rapunzel, and Go Go. She sent a short text to the former three letting them know she was fine, stating she just didn't have cell signal, before she quickly hit the call button for Elsa's number.

" _Anna! Thank the spirits. Are you okay? Where are you?_ " Elsa's voice came through the phone frantically.

"Sorry to worry everyone," Anna said. "I lost track of time at the library. There was, like, zero reception in there. I didn't get anyone's messages until I stepped outside."

" _Okay, do not go anywhere. We'll be there in thirty seconds._ "

"What? You're coming here?" Anna asked just as she felt that tug and saw Elsa's sporty crossover round the corner. The car screeched to a halt in front of her and Elsa jumped out before she even shut the car off. "I guess that answers that. How did oh-"

The next thing Anna knew, Elsa's lips were on hers. Like their first kiss, an energy pulsed through Anna's chest almost as if something was unlocking within her. This was as sweet and chaste as the first time, but there was a desperation on the other end that Anna could almost feel in her heart. When Elsa finally ended the moment and pulled away, she held Anna's face in both hands, looking intently into her eyes.

"Never do that to me again," Elsa whispered, almost pleadingly. Fear and distress evident in those deep blue eyes.

"I… I won't. I'm sorry, it wasn't on purpose," Anna whispered back and frowned slightly, unable to keep her mind from wondering what must have happened in Elsa's past to make her react this way. She nodded her head toward the building behind her. "There's really terrible reception in there."

Elsa glared at the building. "I'll speak to Liv about that."

"I don't think that's nece-"

"Hey, Kristoff... Yeah - we got her… Uh huh…" Rapunzel's voice interrupted as the girl slipped out of the passenger seat of Elsa's car. "Yeah, I'll tell her… Okay. We'll probably see you at the tree lighting… Bye."

Elsa let go of Anna and the smaller girl turned around. "Hey, Raps. What did Kristoff say?"

Rapunzel gave Elsa a quick look before she answered. "He said don't worry about the skit for now. You two can work on it during lunch next week."

"Why? There's still plenty of time before the tree lighting."

"I think he might have gotten the impression that he should back off a little today."

"What? But I didn't…" Anna paused, becoming aware that someone had gone very quiet and turned toward her. "Elsa?"

The girl met Anna's eyes but for a moment, a guilty expression easily readable upon her face. "I may have… come on a bit strong."

"You called him a brainless oaf," Rapunzel said evenly.

"Elsa!"

"I was very worried and mistakenly took my frustrations out on him," Elsa said quickly in her own defense. Anna simply raised an eyebrow at her, arms crossed over her chest in her best imitation of her mother that she could gather. It must have worked because Elsa sighed. "I will apologize tonight. Now let's get some lunch, then I'll drop you off at your house before Rapunzel and I go back to finish decorating."

* * *

 _People blessed with the abilities to control natural elements? What were you even thinking?_ Anna sat on the rug in front of the floor-length mirror hanging on her closet door redoing the twin braids that were her signature style. After a pleasant lunch at Oaken's, who was also as relieved to see Anna safe and well, the cousins had dropped her off at home. She tried doing some homework, but her mind kept going to the investigation spiral she'd gone down earlier. She had been scolding herself internally all afternoon for letting herself lose track of time so badly and causing her friends so much worry.

 _But what about the jewelry? That can't be a coincidence,_ she thought, not for the first time. Anna let a heavy sigh and shook her head. She was going in circles and was unsure why she was so stuck on this. The Dark Sea, the caverns… there are other, non-supernatural explanations for these things that she just wasn't seeing because she was currently preoccupied by thoughts of the River Born story. She stood up and gave herself a once over in the mirror.

"Enough," she told her reflection with finality as she wrapped the scarf Raps had gifted her around her neck. "You always let your imagination run wild. There's nothing odd going on. The story probably just meant a lot to Elsa growing up so she has a necklace that reflects that."

The doorbell rang and Anna grabbed her jacket and matching purple beanie. She nearly ran to the door, but took a calming breath before she pulled it open. Elsa's smiling face greeted her from the other side of the threshold.

"Hey," Elsa said, her sultry voice immediately making Anna weak in the knees.

"Hi. I'm all set," Anna said, stepping out and locking the door. _Woman up, girl,_ a voice suspiciously like Go Go's said in her head. Anna went up on her toes and quickly pecked Elsa on the cheek. They stepped down from the landing, Anna forgetting to skip that last step.

"You and this one stair," Elsa chuckled lightly. "I'll have to have Liv come out and look at it. She's the handy one."

They settled into the now expected quiet of their car ride. Elsa had chosen to go with the local holiday station for the evening. The calming silence between them was comforting, which still surprised the ginger. Anna never thought she'd find quiet moments soothing, but she loved their wordless car rides as much as their conversations.

It seemed that the entire population of Arendelle was mingling about the Town Square. There were tables set up by various local businesses offering holiday treats and warm beverages. Anna spotted a tent where a lot of the children were congregating, and saw that it was an area for them to do some holiday crafts to hang on their family trees. A few booths were scattered around where people could purchase small gifts and items. In the center of the square was the gazebo and just next to it, the large Christmas tree looked beautifully decorated even without its lights turned on.

"It's very Stars Hollow," Anna commented, looking at Elsa. The blonde smiled and nodded her understanding.

"I expect a lot of small towns are similar."

"I love it," Anna said with a smile. "Want to get some of Oaken's cocoa?"

"He served you four mugs at lunch. You're not sick of it?"

"Sick of chocolate?" Anna said, exaggerating her shock playfully and leading them over to Oaken's small table. "You underestimate me."

"Hello, girls! Such a magical night, ya?" Oaken greeted them with a warm smile. "Let me guess. Two hot chocolates, extra whipped cream?"

"Please," Elsa confirmed and Oaken got to work right away just as his husband came out of their restaurant carrying another tray of cookies. "Good evening, Gustav."

"Hello, princess! Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, very much," Elsa answered, her cheeks turning pink. Oaken handed the two young girls their to-go cups of cocoa.

"Did I not tell you how cute they are, dear?" Oaken said to his partner. "How precious young love is."

Anna felt her ears and cheeks burn suddenly, and attempted to hide most of her face by taking a big gulp of the hot beverage. When she brought the cup back down, Elsa was looking at her curiously. "What's up?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Elsa looked down at her cup with a little frown, but Anna didn't question her further.

They thanked Oaken and Gustav for the cocoa and reluctantly took a cookie each as the tray was pushed at them. The two then wandered aimlessly around the square, Elsa easily greeting many of the townspeople. Anna assumed, as the Mayor's little sister, this was sort of expected of her. More than once, the townspeople would comment on the two girls and their relationship. Anna didn't confirm or deny anything. She felt like she had a good idea of what Elsa's opinions were, but didn't want to assume anything.

Eventually, they found themselves browsing through the kiosks that some of the local shops had set up around the perimeter of the square. Anna was drawn to a small booth displaying handmade jewelry. She wasn't sure why she was disappointed when she didn't find any pieces there with the diamond glyphs from the storybook, but she guessed that the necklace and earrings that Elsa and Kaira wore must have been custom pieces.

"Something on your mind?"

Anna looked up at her date (is _this a date?_ ), and shook her head. "Not particularly. Why?"

"You seemed deep in thought," Elsa said. "I was just wondering what you were thinking."

 _About whether or not you have super powers,_ she thought. "Oh, nothing really. Just an empty noggin. Not much going on in there."

Elsa smirked at her. "Well, I know that's not true."

"Were you thinking about something?" Anna deflected.

"Actually yes," Elsa answered after she appeared to debate with herself for a moment. She tentatively grabbed Anna's hand and began to lead her a little away from the festivities. Anna was suddenly on edge. Despite being confident earlier that Elsa might return her affections, she couldn't help but worry a little that that might not be the correct assessment. Once they were away from the rest of the crowds, Elsa turned to her and took a breath to gain her resolve. "I wanted to talk about how you might be feeling… regarding this."

"This? Like... you and me?" Anna clarified. Elsa nodded, clearly nervous about what Anna's answer might be. Anna, however, took the cowardly way out. "What, maybe... are your feelings?"

"I think I've been pretty clear how I feel," Elsa said, barely above a whisper. When Anna failed to respond, she continued. "I like you. So very very much, Anna. There's a connection I cannot explain… And with all the people tonight... When they kept assuming that you and I… I wanted to confirm it, but I didn't want to put you on the spot… I wanted to be sure that -"

Anna cut her off by planting a kiss on Elsa's lips, the first kiss that she had initiated between the two of them. She went onto her tallest tip toes and wrapped her arms around Elsa's neck. Anna felt the blonde's hands settle on either side of her waist, and like earlier today, that spark of something awakening in Anna sizzled again. When they ended the kiss, Anna didn't pull away, but just turned her eyes to look into Elsa's ocean blue ones.

"Sorry, you were rambling. That's supposed to be my job," Anna joked. She felt like she was floating, happiness pouring through every part of her. "I like you too. More than you probably realize."

The smile that broke out on Elsa's face was so bright, Anna thought that even the memory of the California sun felt dim. The blonde leaned down and kissed her again, the joy evident in the simple act. When they parted once more, Anna removed her arms from around Elsa's neck and wrapped them around her middle instead, Elsa's arms hugging her back around Anna's shoulders. Anna's head rested perfectly under Elsa's chin, like they were two puzzle pieces meant to fit together. They stood silently for a moment before Elsa broke the quietude.

"We should head back. You wouldn't want to miss your first Arendelle tree lighting," she said. They reluctantly let go, but walked back to the bustling town square hand in hand, Anna's left in Elsa's right. As they made their way into the crowds, they quickly spotted Rapunzel and Flynn standing near the tree because she was waving excitedly in their direction. When they approached, the bubbly girl's eyes flickered quickly to the joined hands in between them.

"So...?" Raps said, looking at Elsa with a massive and meaningful smile on her face. There was mischief in her eyes and Elsa rolled her own at the girl.

"Hello, cousin," was all Elsa said, but Anna could see the small smile playing at her lips betraying Elsa's attempt at being stoic. Rapunzel clapped her hands and squealed loudly, reading the blonde's hidden smile and Anna's unapologetic one correctly, causing several heads to turn in their direction. "Please, try to contain yourself, Raps. You'll draw Liv's attention."

"Too late!" a voice said and Anna felt Elsa's hand get ripped from hers as Liv lifted Elsa into a bone crushing hug from behind. "I am so proud of you, snowbug!"

"Can't… breathe," Elsa panted out and Liv set her back on her feet. The middle Aren sister turned to Anna.

"Hey, Anna bear! Having a good night, I see," Liv said and winked at her. Anna was sure her blush was so furious, her cheeks must be steaming from the heat.

"A great night. Yeah. Everything is beautiful," Anna said, her gaze landing on Elsa for a moment. Liv caught the motion and the woman's smile grew, if that was even possible. Before Liv could comment again, the gazebo light turned on.

"Oh, that's my cue. Gotta dash," Liv said before running around to the other side of the tree just as the Mayor stepped up onto the now lit up gazebo.

"Good evening, citizens of Arendelle," Kaira addressed the crowd with a command that garnered attention. The rabble settled down and people pressed in closer to the center of the square around the Christmas tree. "Another holiday season is upon us, and we all know that no one else celebrates this time quite like we do."

Cheers from the crowd interrupted the Mayor's speech and Liv took the opportunity to reach up and unfurl a rope from the center of the gazebo's ceiling. Anna looked up and noticed for the first time that a large bell adorned the roof of the town square's centerpiece.

"Now, before we ring in the season this year, I do have a few words," Mayor Aren continued, quieting the last of the cheers. "This year, our little town was given the opportunity to grow a little bigger. While I know what your concerns were, I'm happy to say that the opening of the new Marine Life Institute's Arctic Satellite Station promises to be extremely beneficial for our small community. I am happy to welcome the new relationship, as well as new friends into the Arendelle Family."

Kaira smiled down at Anna, and she felt Elsa squeeze her hand affectionately. She couldn't help the smile that erupted on her face.

"Now it's almost time to ring the bell. I'm happy to announce that this year's tree was designed by none other than my youngest sister, Elsa," Kaira said proudly and the crowd applauded their support. Anna turned to Elsa, but she seemed far too embarrassed to meet her eye. "It is time to hear the bell's chime throughout all of Arendelle! Sisters, if you'd please join me."

Elsa squeezed her hand one more time and whispered to her. "I'll be right back."

The three sisters gathered around the rope and pulled at it together. The bell's peal was soon joined by the cheers of the town as Liv flipped a switch she was holding and the tree came to life. Anna audibly gasped when she first took the tree in. It was stunningly decorated and unlike any Christmas tree Anna had ever seen. There were thousands of lights in all shades of blue and white. The small bulbs danced and shimmered through the hundreds of ornaments in the shapes of intricate snowflakes, icicles, and small animal sculptures. If Anna hadn't known any better, she would have assumed that the decorations had all been carved out of ice.

"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe.

"Elsa has always had a vision for design," Raps said with equal wonder. "She designed the renovation of the library you spent the morning in."

"What!?" Anna shouted. Thank goodness the crowd was still cheering and covered up her outburst; though, Elsa still turned her head toward her, one eyebrow raised and that half smirk Anna liked so much in place. And for the first time since moving to Arendelle, Anna hoped they were there to stay and she let herself leave a little bit of her heart here.

* * *

Anna was still riding on cloud nine when they pulled up in front of her house at the end of the night. She had been told by many people that the kick off to the holiday season in Arendelle was nothing but magical, and they were right. Tonight had been wondrous.

"Your cheeks don't hurt from all that smiling?" Elsa jested as they made their way to the front door.

"I'm just very happy, is all," Anna said, turning to face Elsa. "Thank you for taking me to the festival. The tree looked amazing."

"I felt inspired this year," Elsa said with a half shrug.

"Oh, and thanks for smoothing things over with Kristoff."

Elsa scrunched her nose slightly, but nodded. "He's your friend so I should try to get along with him. Even if I think he has an unhealthy relationship with that reindeer of his."

"Sven is a sweetie," Anna said brightly.

"And smelly."

"I can't argue with you there," Anna responded with a laugh. She went to her tiptoes and gave Elsa a quick kiss. "G'night, Elsa."

"Good night."

They both turned on their spots, heading opposite directions. Anna snuck one last glance at Elsa's retreating form as the blonde made her way to her car before turning to scale the landing to her front door.

"Whoa!" Anna shouted as she slipped on that troublesome bottom step, the euphoria created from tonight making her ever more forgetful. She braced for the impact of her bottom with the concrete walkway below, but instead found herself plop onto a pile of fresh snow. She looked around her, the rest of the walkway, save for the spot she currently sat, was free of snow; having been freshly salted by her mother that very morning. Anna's head snapped to look at Elsa whose hands were extended out to her, a look of fear in her eyes.

"How did… Did you just…" Anna stammered.

Elsa lowered her hands and took two steps toward her. "Anna, I can explain -"

"I KNEW IT!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's the chunk for today (Ch 6-10). If you're hankering for more, you can find it under the same name on FFnet. Currently, it's up to Ch 23. Tomorrow, I'll post the Elsa Arc here. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! And thanks to my BETA!


	11. The Ice Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.
> 
> Disclaimer 2: Welcome to the Elsa Arc, my lovely readers. Pay attention to the dates in case you need to refresh yourselves. Enjoy!
> 
> ...Also - Chapters 11-13 are long. Very long. It was originally 5+ chapters, but my BETA had assured me that people would rather have 3 extra long chapters to get back to the present time in Anna's perspective instead of 5-6 regular length chapters. She was right, if my FFnet readers are any indication.

* * *

**07 October 2019**

_Frozen.._. It's as if the world went completely still as Elsa looked to the cafeteria door. She didn't usually take notice of the other students around her. They were inconsequential; humans with no real impact to what her true role in this world would one day be. Sure, she'd have to play a role in theirs. Her family founded this island town; she and her sisters were expected to participate in it. She'd one day have a job to help run it. Just like her two older sisters. Just like her parents before them. But her world, the one in which she truly and secretly belonged, was not a safe place for most of the student body. Therefore, Elsa kept her distance from them.

Until her.

Some force called upon her to look at the cafeteria's entrance and when the new girl walked in, Elsa's world stopped. The girl was radiant, like sunlight personified. _What is she doing in a town like this? This girl is too bright for such a small corner of the world._ Suddenly, the deep turquoise eyes of the new girl darted toward her and Elsa averted her gaze inhumanly fast.

"Is everything alright, Els?"

"Everything is fine," Elsa said, not daring to look at Rapunzel. Of course she'd notice Elsa's small slip. It didn't happen often. In truth, it never happened to her. Liv was the careless one. Sometimes Rapunzel was too. Elsa more so took after her oldest sister; always mindful of her actions. She followed the ginger girl from the corner of her vision as she trailed after a rather brawny boy across the cafeteria. "You escorted the new girl around this morning?"

"Hm? Oh, Anna? Yeah, she seems nice," Rapunzel said as she waved across the cafeteria at who Elsa assumed was the girl. Elsa nodded, purposefully keeping her gaze on her food. She could practically feel her cousin's eyes dissecting her. Rapunzel's voice took on a brighter tone and Elsa didn't even need to look up to know she was grinning wildly. "She's also really cute. Don't you think?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm really starting to regret ever confiding things in you."

"Hurtful," Rapunzel responded, feigning offense before waving off the comment. "Anyway, I'll introduce you should the opportunity arise."

"That won't be necessary," Elsa said seemingly disinterested. She looked back to her cousin and sighed at the goofy grin Rapunzel had. "Though I know you'll do whatever you want anyway."

"That's the spirit!"

* * *

_Just great,_ Elsa thought to herself the very next day when she saw her cousin walk in with a tiny red-haired girl in tow. She did her best to keep her eyes from tracking the girl all the way to the piano. _Chemistry class wasn't enough? Now I have to deal with this_ every _day._

Despite all her efforts, she watched as the girl stopped in front of their choir director, Mr. Horatio Sebastian, and chatted with him for a moment. When Anna's eyes flickered to hers, Elsa quickly tore her gaze away, scowling at her binder of sheet music in front of her. _What is wrong with you? She's just a girl; a normal, mortal girl. There's no reason that she should have any power -_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the sweetest sound she'd ever heard met her ears. Bright, ocean eyes slowly raised to the girl standing at the piano. She was only singing scales, Mr. Sebastian testing her vocal range to best place her into a part, but Elsa was instantly enraptured. It felt like this was a voice she'd been waiting an eternity to hear, but also one that sounded hauntingly familiar as if she'd been acquainted with it for her entire life. She felt the pull of Nature she'd been feeling since yesterday tug harder and she frowned at the implication.

A movement in her periphery caught her attention and Elsa turned her eyes to her cousin. Rapunzel was grinning at her. She knew that look well; had grown up with Raps throwing it at her in Elsa's most unknowing moments. She threw her own glare back, the one that told Rapunzel to leave things, whatever they were that she was reading into, alone. To her irritation, Raps only smiled wider. A moment later, Elsa watched as Rapunzel enthusiastically welcomed Anna to sit next to her, and she felt a pang of jealousy. She quickly tried to rid herself of the feeling. It would not do to entangle herself with someone who she'd only pose a danger to later.

The rest of choir class took a lot of effort for Elsa to get through. She constantly was distracted by Anna sitting several seats away amongst the other first sopranos. Elsa could easily pick out the girl's sweet tone from the rest, its clarity unmatched by any other voice in the room. She forced herself several times to keep her eyes on her binder and to focus on the other voices in her part. The efforts were futile though and at the end of the day, she felt exhausted.

"You're particularly moody today," Raps said once they were in the car headed to their homes.

"I don't know what you mean," Elsa said, not daring to look at her cousin and keeping her eyes on the road. She knew Rapunzel would just be giving her that annoying, knowing smile again. Just like yesterday.

"Yes, you do," Rapunzel insisted. Elsa remained quiet, turning down her cousin's street at a speed that her sisters would definitely frown upon. Raps didn't give up though. "Strange weather last night. Six inches of snow in just a few hours and it's only October."

"I was restless," was all Elsa offered.

"Is that the excuse you gave Kaira?" Raps asked. Elsa again chose to not respond. "I'm surprised she let that one go."

Elsa sighed as she rounded the long driveway of the Corona Manor. "What are you hoping to dig up, Raps?"

"Nothing, really. Just know that you can talk to me," Rapunzel said with a meaningful look before she hopped out of the car and bounded into the house.

Elsa made quick work of the drive to Aren Manor, reversing easily into the large garage and entering the house through the massive, modern kitchen. After their parents died, the sisters spent the better part of four years completely renovating their ancestral home into the modern work of art that it was now. A lot of the design had been created by Elsa herself, her sisters trusting her even at her young age. The use of cold stone, wood accents, and sharp angles paired with glass and water features throughout the living spaces reflected her emotions better than she would ever allow herself to outwardly portray. They redid the entire home; save for one space.

She plopped down on the couch in the den with a very uncharacteristic slump, exhaustion from a night of fitful sleep weighing her down. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of the new girl and it was unnerving. Two days. She'd only known of this girl for two days and she couldn't rid her head of the girl. Elsa didn't get it. That tug she'd felt yesterday had struck her several times again today and drew her to the girl. Something was pulling her to Anna, that much she understood. There was no other explanation for it, but why? Why this girl? This seemingly ordinary girl?

But Elsa knew that was a lie. This girl was anything but ordinary. Anna was as radiant as a summer sun, her hair the color of autumn leaves in the wind, her voice contained the sounds of springtime, her eyes reflected the colors of the aurora on a winter night. Not to mention she was clever; her mind likely able to match Elsa's if the girl's ability to string thoughts together while incessantly rambling was any indication. She was everything Elsa wan-

"No," Elsa said aloud to herself, pulling herself up from the couch. "Enough with this nonsense."

She walked out to the backyard, using her powers to keep herself atop the fresh snow that had fallen during her night of restless sleep, and made her way a good distance from the house. Then she let go. She pulled ice sculptures from the ground; all sharp spikes and angry shards, expressions of her inner frustration. Snow swirled around her and frost built on her clothes as she pushed everything she was feeling out in a controlled display of raw power.

When she was finally spent, she used her remaining energy to craft a sleek chair and sank onto it. Barking greeted her ears not a moment after sitting and a pair of pure white dogs came tearing through the yard, or at least attempting as both kept sinking into the snow with every jumping bound. Elsa let out a soft chuckle and melted a path in the snow to her. Olaf reached her first and jumped right up into her lap, then Marshmallow arrived and rested his head on her knee.

"I love what you've done with the place."

Elsa looked up to see Liv leaning on the open door frame leading from the kitchen to the backyard. "I was working through something."

"I see that," Liv responded, running a hand along a particularly wild looking ice shard as she walked over to her. "Do you feel better?"

Elsa looked around at what she'd created. It was as beautiful as it was hostile. Sometimes she surprised herself with what she could create when letting her powers go unhindered. But as she looked at the icy blue spikes, she just felt more frustration.

"For a moment," she said. Trust and honesty. That's all the sisters asked of each other.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Elsa looked up at the middle of the Aren sisters. It was uncharacteristic of Liv to be so restrained, so she knew that Liv must have seen more of her raging storm than she initially let on. She sighed.

"I don't even know where to start yet."

"Well, when you do, just know I'm always here for you, snowbug," Liv said calmly and in a comforting tone that was unusual for her. "I can parent just as good as Kaira. Or, you know, you could just keep destroying the yard."

"Well."

"Well what?"

"You can parent just as well as Kaira," Elsa clarified.

"Ugh. I see I've been letting Kai do too much of the parenting." Liv scrunched her nose at the younger sister. She scooped up Olaf from Elsa's lap and tucked him under one arm. "Speaking of which, you should probably clean this up before she gets home or she'll ask questions. So hop to it! I'll make us some cocoa."

* * *

**11 October 2019**

This had been the longest week of Elsa's life. Though she'd managed to keep herself from unconsciously dumping more unseasonal snow on the town, she admittedly hadn't been sleeping well, tossing and turning as her mind battled with what her gut and that persistent pull in her chest were trying to tell her. Nature was pulling her to the girl, that much she'd worked out now. There was no other force in the world that could carry so much weight in someone like her, someone with her heritage, and Nature wanted her to protect the newest teen in Arendelle.

Which, over the week, began to make sense to Elsa because the girl was so clumsy it was almost unbelievable. She was constantly dropping her things, tripping over flat surfaces, and not to mention her ability to inadvertently set things ablaze during their chemistry lab. The girl was a hazard to herself and others, it was no wonder Nature was imploring her to keep an eye on Anna. She was beginning to not mind that part so much, though.

"Elsa, those carrots aren't going to eat themselves."

Elsa's wandering mind was brought back to the dinner table and she looked up at Kaira. Her eldest sister was peering at her keenly as she sipped from her glass of wine.

"Nope! But I will," Liv said as she reached over and speared a couple of the baby vegetables on Elsa's plate with her fork and popped them into her mouth. Elsa smirked at her antics. The energetic, over-the-top middle girl of the Aren sisters could eat enough for all of them. Liv sent her little sister a smile full of carrots. "Nummy."

"Olivia," Kaira said. She took on that stern look that made the young woman appear very much like their late mother.

"Uh oh. I'm in trouble... Again…" Liv said, as she winked at Elsa.

The youngest sister chuckled lightly, but quickly went back to pushing the food around her plate. Elsa's brow reverted to a worried furrow. Kaira and Liv shared a look before the default matriarch reached over and brushed Elsa's bangs from her eyes.

"What's troubling you, snowbug?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Elsa."

Elsa's eyes shot up to Kaira's, ready to accuse her of abusing her powers, but stopped when she saw the concerned faces on both of her big sisters. Kaira would never invade her mind without due cause, Elsa knew that. There was always that unspoken agreement that their abilities weren't to be used on each other unless absolutely necessary. Kaira simply knew something was wrong because she knew Elsa better than Elsa really knew herself. What Elsa did know was that her sisters weren't going to let this go. She let out a sigh.

"There's this new girl at school - "

"Bam, what! Called it!" Liv exclaimed loudly, slamming a fist on the table and causing the other two sisters to jump. The middle child held out her hand to Kaira expectantly. "Pay up, dear sister."

"Let her finish, Liv," Kaira said. Liv put her hand down, but the smug smile on her face remained. Kaira turned her attention back to Elsa. "Go on, sweetie."

"You know that the Norths were the first newcomers to arrive. Anna started at school on Monday," Elsa said after she took a breath to gather her thoughts. Her sisters nodded, and waited for her to continue. "Well, she's been assigned as my lab partner."

There was a moment of silence that was broken by the most impatient of the sisters.

"Is that all?" Liv asked, her smile now beginning to falter.

"She's also in my choir class."

Liv was about to interject again when Kaira held up a hand to dissuade her. Liv, knowing that Kaira was better at getting their younger sister to open up, kept quiet. Satisfied, the eldest sister pushed the conversation along in a gentle, encouraging voice. "This does not explain your behavior this week, sweetie."

"I know. I just… I don't know how to explain it," Elsa said, setting her fork down in frustration. "It's like there's this… pull. Something that's drawing me to this girl. I can't get her out of my head."

"Ooh, she's crushing hard," Liv chuckled.

"Am not!" Elsa said defensively. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her bangs, not seeing that her sisters shared a loaded smile with each other. "Ugh, I'm not explaining it right. Sometimes I think she feels it too... I don't know. It doesn't really make any sense. It feels like a magical pull; like Nature wants me to befriend her."

That did give her older sisters pause, as Elsa knew it would. They never questioned the will of Nature in this house. Kaira swirled the red wine in her large glass while she thought, and Liv went still, an atypical behavior for the woman. The implications of Elsa's statement were not to be taken lightly.

"And what do _you_ want, snowbug?" Kaira asked finally.

Elsa was a little thrown by the question. What did she want? A part of her knew she wanted to be with Anna; that she wanted what Rapunzel had with Eugene in some capacity. Then another part wanted to stay as far away from the girl as possible; she was a mortal, she didn't belong in Elsa's other world. It wasn't safe for her. The two sides warred with each other and kept her up throughout the night.

"I don't know," Elsa said. "Do I even have a choice if Nature wills it so?"

"You always have a choice," Kaira said, sweeping Elsa's bangs from her eyes once more. "Nature never presents something to us that we are unable to deny. Even our powers. We can give them up should we choose."

"But why would anyone ever give up a gift from Nature?" Elsa asked incredulously.

"Why indeed, snowbug," Kaira offered back, ending the conversation there and allowing Elsa the space to come to her own conclusions on her meaning. The three women settled back into silence, save for the sound of cutlery upon the plates as they finished their dinner. The quiet moment was broken once more by the middle sister.

"Is it still too late to take you up on the offer to join you tomorrow, Kai?"

"I thought you weren't interested in… what was it you called it? 'Mayoral jibber jab,'" her older sister questioned, sipping at her wine once more.

"Yeah, I'm not, but I realized I have plenty of questions to ask," Liv said nonchalantly. Kaira raised an eyebrow at her sister, and Elsa didn't blame her. Even she could feel that Liv was up to something mischievous. "You know, as the Director of Parks and Recreation. I have a lot of concerns about what this new Institute will be doing around the island."

Kaira peered at her for another moment, dissecting her younger sister with her eyes. Not finding a reason to deny her, she relented. "Fine. I invited you for such reasons in the first place, but do not embarrass me, smalls."

"Me? Be an embarrassment? Oh ye of little faith, big sister," Liv responded before she winked at Elsa when Kaira got up to refill her wine glass.

* * *

**12 October 2019**

"No."

"C'mon, snowbug. It's on your way back to Auntie Ari's anyway," Liv implored.

"You did this on purpose."

"You think I _intentionally_ forgot my jacket in order to force you to come bring it to me here, where I knew I'd be meeting this Anna you've been losing sleep over, just so that I could ask you to drive her home?" Liv said in over-exaggerated resentment. "That's quite the conspiracy theory. You think that's the case?"

"Yes." Elsa said, frustration clear in her white knuckle grip on the steering wheel.

"Yeah, well you're half right," Liv said with a crooked smile. "I came to meet this girl that has my baby sister all in a tizzy. The ride thing just happened to present itself. I don't really need my jacket. It's not very cold out today."

"You're exhausting," Elsa said, closing her eyes and leaning back into the headrest with a huge sigh.

"Look, snowbug," Liv said after a beat. She tried a more gentle approach. "This can be a good thing if you let it. Take this opportunity to see what you might feel outside of the constraints of a classroom. If it turns out to be something, we can go from there. If it's nothing, then you can at least start sleeping again."

There was that tug and Elsa instinctively opened her eyes to see Anna step out of the building with a small, Asian girl sporting a short pixie style haircut. She saw Anna's eyes dart in her direction briefly before her attention was grabbed by the girl next to her. Elsa turned her head toward her sister. Liv had an encouraging look in her eyes, one that said she wasn't going to let this go, and Elsa knew it was pointless to refuse.

"Fine," she said curtly. "But I'm extremely unhappy with you."

"I know! I'll go tell them."

"Oh and, Liv?" Elsa called after her when she was only a couple steps away. Her sister turned to look back. "I hate you."

"I love you, too!" Liv laughed as she jogged over to the small group gathered at the entrance to the newest building in Arendelle.

The drive to the North residence was mostly quiet. Elsa wasn't in the mood for any music, she was far too on edge to add any additional stimuli to the situation. She kept glancing in the rear view mirror, but stopped after the first few times she'd met her cousin's gaze. Rapunzel's eyes constantly darted between the two girls in the front, waiting for someone to break the tension. Each time Elsa looked back, Raps had an almost eager look in her eyes that annoyed Elsa almost as much as this fabricated situation her sister forced her into.

"Thanks for the ride. I'm sorry for… you know, interrupting your day. Or whatever," Anna said, finally breaking the quiet in the car. It seemed Elsa didn't even need the music, Anna's voice carried a melody on its own.

_Ugh, don't be a creep,_ Elsa thought. _Just keep your eyes on the road._

"You don't have to apologize. Liv is…" _annoying, aggravating, meddlesome…_ "persistent."

"Um… yeah. Well, I thought both of your sisters were nice. And they're both beautiful. Not that you're not just as beautiful… because you are - beautifuller actually. I mean… not fuller. You don't look fuller. I mean more… Oh my god, shut up..."

_How can she make rambling be so absolutely adorable?_ Elsa couldn't help the small smile that came. She felt the eyes of both girls on her, but she kept facing forward, not taking her eyes off the road.

"I'm sorry. That was… weird and awkward. Not because of you! You're neither weird nor awkward… I feel like we've kind of had this conversation before… Yeah - the first time we met… I went all 'classic Anna,' as my mother calls it, then too… I have this bad habit of rambling. I mean, I know I'm doing it, rambling that is, but I just can't stop -"

"I've noticed," Elsa said. As much as she was enjoying listening to the cadence of Anna's voice and how cute her flushed face looked as she continued to string thoughts together at an alarming speed, Elsa decided to put her out of her misery. "About the rambling I mean."

She put the car in park and turned to look at Anna. Elsa was caught off guard by the color of her eyes. She'd caught glimpses here and there over the girl's first week at school, but this was the first time she was looking at her directly. At first glance, Anna's eyes were blue, but upon further inspection, she saw that there was green interspersed throughout her irises, making her darker blue eyes more of a bright teal.

"You have?" Anna asked shyly.

_I've noticed nearly everything about you_ , she thought. _No, don't be a creep._

"We're lab partners," is what she said. "You don't really seem comfortable sitting in silence while we work."

"Ha, yeah," Anna said, looking away ( _look back at me, please, Anna_ ). "I have been told that it is my most defining characteristic."

"I think it's endearing," she said without thinking. _What? Stop it, Elsa. You're coming on too strong._ Her hand went instinctively to her necklace and she played with the charms that hung from it. It was a nervous tick she'd had since she was a little girl. The coolness of metal, the sharp edges of the water symbol that marked her family's history, the intricacies of the extra snowflake pendant all helped anchor her emotions whenever she touched them.

And she needed it as Anna looked at her again. Those deep, inquisitive eyes that seemed to look right through Elsa's facade captivated her. She could smell the body wash that Anna used, a tropical sort of blend. She eyed the constellations of freckles across the girl's button nose and rounded cheeks. Her eyes flickered to Anna's lips for a fraction of a second before she nearly jumped out of her skin as Rapunzel's ringtone interrupted the moment.

"I should let you go. Sounds like your aunt is looking for you," Anna said as Rapunzel fumbled with her phone in the back seat and spoke to her mother.

_Not good. This is definitely not good,_ Elsa thought now that the moment was over and Anna had climbed out of the car. Like a masochist, she watched as Anna walked up to the front steps leading to her home. She felt the crooked smile play at her lips when the ginger tripped on the bottom step, ever the klutz. _Yep, definitely not good._

"Yeah, mom. We're leaving now. See you in a few," Rapunzel said before hanging up and buckling into the front seat. She looked at Elsa with an apologetic expression, but the blonde was already pulling out of the driveway. "Sorry for ruining the moment."

"You ruined nothing. There was no moment," Elsa lied.

"Uh huh."

"Please don't push this, cousin."

"I just don't get it," Raps complained. "You obviously like her. She obviously likes you. There's no reason that you shouldn't -"

"You know perfectly well my reasons," Elsa said sternly.

"Yeah, okay," Rapunzel huffed. "I still think you're being stubborn though."

* * *

"Sooo…" Liv started expectantly as they sat down for dinner later that night. Elsa was actually surprised her sister could gather up enough patience to wait until now. She looked at Liv with a completely emotionless expression.

"So?" she asked innocently.

"Ugh! Come on, Els! Spill," Liv said in exasperation. "Did you walk her to her door? Did she hold your hand? Did you two confess your absolutely adorable and complete undying love for each other?"

"Wha-what?" Elsa stammered, completely flustered by the barrage of questions her sister shot at her at an alarming rate and blushing furiously over the last one.

"I swear, Olivia," Kaira said with a sigh. "Rapunzel was right. You have… now what did she say? Oh yes - 'zero chill.'"

"Oh you're not fooling anyone, Kai. You know you want to know all the details as badly as I do," Liv said, waving her hand dismissively as if she could physically bat away her older sister's comments. "This is the first time our baby sis has become completely smitten and I'm excited. So no - I absolutely cannot muster any chill. Now where were we?"

Liv turned back to Elsa and raised her eyebrows expectantly. The youngest girl looked to Kaira hoping that she'd save her, but it seemed that Liv was right. Kaira was just as interested to know what had happened after the three teens left the Institute earlier and had no intention of coming to her rescue.

_Well, they're going to have to work for it then_ , Elsa thought. She decided on sticking to straight forward answers to Liv's questions. "No, I did not. No, she did not. And no, we did not because that is absolutely not the case."

Liv sighed dramatically, running two hands down her face in exaggerated exasperation. When she finally let her arms drop, she gave her younger sister a tired look.

"You're not going to go for it, are you?" Liv said. Elsa could tell it wasn't really a question. Both of her sisters could always see through her like she was made of the ice she could create at will. Elsa's silence spoke volumes and Liv whined. "But _why?_ "

"She has her reasons, Olivia. We don't need to pry," Kaira admonished.

"No, Kai. We both know what this is about. You can't let her keep hiding from the world and -"

"I do no such thing."

"You do! You know what Rapunzel tells me? Elsa makes no effort to make any friends outside of her and Eugene," Liv said before she turned to the youngest of the three. "It's not healthy to lock yourself away, Els. You've blamed yourself enough for things that were out of your control. Don't let the past dictate your happiness."

"That's not what I do," Elsa said defensively.

"Then what is it? If you can honestly tell us that you have no interest in this girl, then I'll drop it."

Elsa worried her bottom lip for a moment, but gathered her resolve. "I have no interest in Anna."

"This is what years of letting her tamp her feelings down results in, Kai," Liv said pointedly to the eldest sister before she turned to Elsa with a hurt look. "Trust and honesty, snowbug."

The brazen, middle sister picked up her plate and headed out to the garage area. Elsa had no doubt Liv would be taking out her frustrations on the punching bags they had hanging in there when she finished eating. Elsa pushed the food around her plate, appetite completely lost.

"Don't mind Olivia. She means well, but she's always been hotheaded and thinks with her heart. Emotions make her who she is; they drive her abilities more than we allow ours to," Kaira said, pausing to sip from her wine glass, tonight's selection a dry rosé. "Once she calms down, she'll realize she overreacted."

Elsa thought over Kaira's words. It was true, Liv was the most likely of the three of them to let her emotions rule her actions; to blow up over a misunderstanding, or cry during a sad commercial. But she was also the more likely of them to find the levity in what appears to be a hopeless situation and leaves herself open to feeling not just the sad emotions, but all the happy ones too. It was a strength that Elsa did not have.

"Do you think I'm making a mistake?" Elsa asked Kaira in a hushed voice.

"All I care about, snowbug, is that in the end, you choose whatever makes you happy."

"I'll only endanger her life, Kai. There's no future there."

"If that's what you want." The eldest sister set her glass down and reached over, brushing the bangs from Elsa's eyes affectionately as she always did. She sent Elsa a small, sad smile.

_It's the only way_. Elsa steeled herself inside, imagining a cage of ice around her heart. _Conceal. Don't feel._

"It is."

* * *

**18 October 2019**

"You could go talk to her you know?"

"Who?" Elsa said, startled from her thoughts. She looked over at her cousin who, to Elsa's irritation, was smirking playfully at her.

"The girl that you're staring at," Rapunzel clarified.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You were _staring_ at the cute redhead that happens to be your Chem Lab partner," Rapunzel pressed, jutting her head in the general direction of Anna's lunch table. "Just go talk to her. She's absolutely adorable and your sisters like her. Well, I at least know Liv does. She was just talking to my mom about her last night. She also thinks, as I do, that you've been isolating yourself for far too long."

"I'm not isolating myself. I go to school everyday," Elsa said indignantly, gesturing to the room around them with a wave of her hand. "There are people all around me."

"Yes, but you don't participate, Els. You passively float through life here. There's a reason everyone calls you the Ice Queen," Rapunzel said and then let out an amused laugh. "Stark and unoriginal really, but so fitting it's almost comical. If only they all knew how apt that moniker truly is though."

Elsa shot Rapunzel a glare and glanced back over at Anna. She was laughing at something that the burly, blonde boy from Elsa's Calculus class had said. Elsa couldn't for the life of her remember his name. Christopher? That sounded about right. As if Anna could sense that someone was looking at her, she turned and locked eyes with Elsa. The platinum blonde tore her eyes away quickly and scowled down at her untouched lunch tray.

"She's a mortal," Elsa said.

" _And_? So is Eugene."

"What's that, babe?" Eugene asked, turning back around from goofing off with the other hockey players at the table next to them.

"Just telling Elsa I think you're handsome," Rapunzel said and kissed his cheek. Elsa rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Don't I know it," he said, flashing her his smolder before turning back to the rowdy boys.

"And you shouldn't have dragged him into our world either," Elsa retorted in a whisper. She ran her hands through her bangs in frustration and her voice got quiet. "Our world isn't safe for them."

Rapunzel abandoned her playful teasing and her features softened. "Sweetie, you can't keep yourself from feeling anything out of fear of what _could_ happen. Not every mortal that comes into our lives has a tragic story. What happened to your mom - "

"I have to get to class," Elsa said, quickly picking up her tray of untouched food and dumping everything into the trash as she stormed out of the cafeteria. There were still almost ten minutes of lunch left and she walked aimlessly through the halls attempting to get her emotions in check. It would not do to cry at school and it definitely wouldn't do to let a blizzard start now; her sisters would surely run here as fast as they could if she let one out. So she did what she always did when she needed to calm down.

She paced.

She paced up and down the front steps of the school, embracing the cold, October air, willing the chill in her lungs to help slow the beating of her heart. Elsa had thought that it would get easier, that staying away from the girl and giving her the cold shoulder would make things better, that she could possibly get some sleep. But the connection felt stronger than ever. That pull, the one drawing her to Anna, was tugging at her more everyday.

"Pull yourself together," she whispered to herself. She stopped pacing and took several deep breaths, calming her mind as much as she could. When the bell rang, she felt diffused enough, and Elsa headed back inside toward her fifth period French class. She looked at her feet as she walked the halls knowing that the student body would hurriedly part the seas for the Ice Queen. Sometimes being a feared outcast had its perks.

As she walked down the science hall, she felt that tug again and glanced up. She was approaching the Biology Lab, the one she knew Anna had everyday with Rapunzel. Ever the masochist, Elsa allowed her gaze to flit through the open door as she passed, but what she saw froze her on the spot. That same burly senior was holding Anna's hand, and Elsa felt like the proverbial ice cage she put around her heart was somehow shrinking in size, squeezing it painfully. When Anna made eye contact with her, Elsa startled like a baby deer and she did what she always did when she was overwhelmed.

She ran.

She ran faster than any ordinary human could run. She fled from the school and zipped through town, moving faster than a mortal would notice; at least, not any that didn't already know how to spot the anomaly. Elsa kept running. She didn't know where she was going until she got there, but she didn't stop until she'd reached the river basin at the base of the North Mountain. It took her less than five minutes to run the several miles through town and forest to get here.

Elsa sank to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin upon them as she listened to the calming trickling of the water. Winter was approaching quickly in Alaska, the waterfall had already slowed to a gentle stream off of the mountain tops. She closed her eyes, focusing on breathing. Inhale and exhale. And again.

"You wouldn't happen to be skipping school, snow cub?"

Elsa stood quickly and spun around. "Uncle! It's not what it looks… I was just…"

"Relax, Elsa. I won't bust you. I'm not one to judge anyway. I doubt my teachers even knew I was enrolled in their classes my senior year at the high school." Her Uncle Fred chuckled. He looked her over and offered a smile. "I could actually use some help. Let's go."

Elsa blinked. "You're… not going to ask me why I'm not at school? Or force me to go back?"

"I'm sure you have your reasons," Frederic said as he started up the north path. She ran to catch up with him, settling into his stride once she was at his side. "Stick close. I've been finding these over the last few days."

He stopped, using his power to pull earth and stone from the forest floor beneath him and shaped it into a crude staff. Frederic then gestured for her to take a step back. Once her uncle felt Elsa was at a safe distance, he poked something in the brush and a loud, metallic snap startled her. Frederic pulled the staff into the path, dragging a complicated trap with it.

"An animal trap?" Elsa said with a gasp. "But who would do such a thing?"

"I'm not sure," Frederic said, his large brow furrowed in concern. "I can't imagine any citizen of Arendelle committing such an atrocity against nature, but you can never be certain."

"You think it could be one of the newcomers?"

He surprised her by shaking his head. "I found the first one nearly a month ago. Well before any of the new scientists arrived."

Elsa bent to look at the now deactivated mechanism. It was unlike any trap she'd ever seen. Her uncle and his rangers have been known to use traps in order to relocate certain animals that were causing problems within the reserve, but they always used capture and release traps. It went against everything Arendelle and its oldest families, the Arens and Coronas, stood for to use traps meant to harm Nature's creatures.

She stood and looked back to her uncle. "What do you need help with?"

"I need to clear this final path," Frederic said. He created another staff of earth and rock and handed it over to her. "You take the left side and I'll take the right. We'll follow the trail back toward the Ranger station. These have proven successful already, particularly amongst the foxes that like to hide in the underbrush. I've already had to take several to Rapunzel for healing."

"She didn't mention anything," Elsa said.

"I'm sure she didn't want to worry you. She said you've been struggling lately," he responded. She met his gaze at that, but he didn't press. "We don't have to talk about it. Now, be mindful. If you find one, stand back as far as you can before activating it. Use your powers if you think it would be safer."

Elsa was very thankful for her uncle. He was rock steady despite his ability to literally move mountains. After her parents died, he and Auntie Ari looked after the three Aren sisters as much as they needed. Kaira was only nineteen at the time, and was attending the university an hour-long ferry ride away, so Elsa spent a lot of time at the Corona Manor with Rapunzel. When Elsa's powers started to grow, she had trouble keeping them in check. Her uncle would take her up the North Mountain, away from the less durable citizens of Arendelle and help her work through it all. Without him, she doubted she would have ever been able to be around people again. He wasn't her father, but he was the closest thing she had.

"I think I've made a mistake," Elsa said after about forty minutes into their walk. It had been silent between the two of them until then, only the sounds of the forest keeping them company. They hadn't come across another trap since that first one he'd shown her yet.

"Is this about the new girl?" He paused their walk and leaned up against a massive tree, though against his large frame, it didn't look so gigantic. Elsa nodded, she figured Raps had said something to her parents about Elsa's behavior lately. She hadn't been around their house as much lately; a usual indicator that Elsa was probably having a hard time with something. "Did something happen at school today?"

"I think... " Elsa started, but took a breath. "She might have feelings for someone else. A boy."

Her uncle raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's not at all what Rapunzel made it sound like. Are you sure about this?"

"He was holding her hand," Elsa said conclusively.

"I see," Frederic said. He pushed himself off of the tree, some of the pine needles raining around them from the tremor he created along the trunk. He placed a large hand on her shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle for such a mountainous man. "Well, if she doesn't see what she's missing out on, then she's a fool. Though, I don't think you should jump to conclusions so quickly. Things aren't always as they seem."

To prove his point, he tossed his self-made staff just behind her, and she heard the snap of another metal trap, one that she had completely missed despite looking carefully along the edge of the path.

* * *

Elsa made it back to the school just as she heard the final bell ring. She leaned against the hood of her car. She had been tempted to just go home and leave her car at the school until tomorrow, but she remembered that she promised to give Rapunzel a ride. Her cousin wasn't a fan of running with all her school things with her. Just as students started pouring out of the many school exits, Elsa felt her pocket buzz.

**Kai [2:32 PM]:** I got a call from your Vice Principal. We will talk about your truancy at home.

Elsa sighed and rolled her eyes. _Well, Uncle Fred at least didn't rat me out._

"So you're skipping class now?" Rapunzel said accusingly as she approached her.

"Just French and Choir," Elsa said in an unaffected tone ( _I have perfect grades. Why is everyone on my case?_ ). "Je parle déjà couramment et je connais ma musique."

"Whatever. You're just not acting like you, Els," Raps said. Elsa just shrugged, she could try to deny it, but they both knew it would be a lie. She watched her cousin turn around and shout across the parking lot to the girl that had turned her life upside down unwittingly. "See you later, Anna! Pick out a good costume!"

Elsa felt a prickling on the back of her neck as her hairs stood on end. The wind suddenly kicked up around her and she saw the hat blow off Anna's head. She watched in abject horror as the girl instinctively tried to chase it down… right into oncoming traffic.

"Oh no."

Elsa barely heard her cousin's gasped words. She was already running to her. The world slowed down as she ran as fast as she could. For the first time in her life, she cursed the fact that she wasn't as fast as Liv. The truck was nearly on top of Anna and the girl had frozen in shock. Elsa feared she wouldn't reach her.

_Faster. You must get there._ And she did. Just barely. She managed to get her fingertips around Anna's backpack and she yanked the girl back to the sidewalk. Elsa sighed in relief, but that relief was short lived as it was replaced with fury. She had never been so scared in her life and now Elsa was irrationally mad.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Elsa shouted and ran a hand angrily through her windswept bangs. She'd done a lot of running today. "Watch where you're walking next time."

"S-sorry," Anna said, a look of disbelief and alarm on her face. Elsa felt herself soften a little at the expression.

"Just be more careful."

"Anna!" Elsa looked up toward the voice ( _Ugh, great. This guy_ ). "Are you okay? That looked like a close call."

_It fucking was! Where the hell were you?_ When the boy reached them, Elsa got a distinct whiff of a barn. _Really? This guy, Anna?_

"I… um…" Anna muttered.

"Your girlfriend is fine. Take better care of her next time," Elsa hissed and walked away hurriedly. She quickly made her way back to where Rapunzel was waiting by her car. Elsa snapped before Raps could even open her mouth. "I don't want to talk about it."


	12. The Quandry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.
> 
> Disclaimer 2: Welcome to more (so much more) of the Elsa Arc, my lovely readers. Pay attention to the dates in case you need to refresh yourselves. Enjoy!

* * *

**01 November 2019**

_Has it really only been four weeks?_ Elsa glanced at the calendar hanging on the cork board above her desk. _Nope. Three weeks and four days._

"Ugh!" Elsa grunted as she flopped a pillow over her face.

"Whoa. It reeks of teen angst in here."

"Shut up, Liv," Elsa's muffled voice said through the tightly packed down feathers. The pillow was suddenly pulled from her face and Elsa squinted as the light hit her eyes. "What do you want now?"

"I was just making sure you don't want to engage in some perfectly normal teen rebellion tonight," Liv smiled down on her. "Kai is on the mainland all weekend and your much more lenient sister is willing to turn a blind eye should you choose to go hang out with our cousin and a certain little ginger girl tonight."

"This again?"

"I would drop it if you'd just woman up already and take a chance with Anna."

Elsa propped herself up on her elbows. She raised an eyebrow at Liv. "Woman up?"

"I've been hanging out with Go Go a lot," Liv said with a shrug. Elsa wasn't sure why she was surprised that Liv had already made such good friends with a new person in town. The middle of the sisters was always the more outgoing and sociable one of them. Liv had more friends than the number of people Elsa probably had ever met in her life. "Anyway, Auntie Ari said Anna is staying at their house all weekend. You should visit them."

"Liv, you know why I don't want to involve Anna in our lives," Elsa said imploringly. "She's a mortal. It's not prudent. What happened to Mama -"

"Isn't going to happen to every mortal that comes into our lives," Liv interrupted, her usual playfulness set aside. She sat down next to Elsa and pushed the young girl's sweeping bangs from her face. "I hate seeing you like this, snowbug. When are you going to stop blaming yourself for things that were out of your control?"

"They may have been out of my control, but it all happened because of me," Elsa whispered. She could feel the burning at the back of her throat as tears threatened to form. "Mama and Papa would never have been -"

"Stop," Liv said, sad anger flashing in her eyes. Elsa attempted to avert her gaze when the tears became apparent, but Liv wouldn't have it. She took Elsa's chin gently, turning her younger sister's head to look back up and wiped away a tear as it escaped. "You do not know what may have been. No one can know. What happened to Mama and Papa was in no way your fault. And you know what? I wouldn't trade the life I have now for anything else."

Elsa raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Not even if it means we could have our parents back?"

"Nope, not even. I love how we are. You, me, and Kai. We're unbreakable and unstoppable," Liv said confidently. "I don't think we'd be as close as we are if we hadn't gone through what we have together. For that I am grateful."

A quiet moment fell between the two sisters; a rare occasion when Liv was involved. Elsa considered her sister's view and she could find no fault in it. Kaira and Liv provided for her in the same way any set of parents would have, but they still got to be sisters on top of that. The more she thought about it, Elsa had to agree - she wouldn't trade the life she had with her sisters for anything.

Liv suddenly made a gagging noise and scrunched up her nose as if some nasty smell had assaulted her senses. "You do realize that, by your logic, the only option you have is to head over to the Southern Isles and choose a Weselton or one of the _many_ Westergaards?"

Elsa made an equal face of disgust before her anxiety spiked quickly. She hadn't really considered that fact before. Could she settle for a girl from the Weselton clan? Westergaard was completely out of the question, not after what they did to her family.

As if reading her thoughts, Liv sat down gently on the bed next to Elsa. "You have so much to offer someone, snowbug. It should be a crime that you're keeping it all to yourself."

"You're one to talk," Elsa said, trying to get the conversation off of her and Anna.

"Oh? Little ol' me? I'm an independent woman, darlin'! No man can tie this down," Liv said playfully, adopting the air of a southern debutante and making a sweeping gesture over her body. Elsa laughed; she couldn't imagine that there was a man on this earth that could handle her vivacious sister. "Anyway, I'm going to order us a pizza. Take the boys for a walk, would you?"

"Okay," Elsa said and grabbed her shoes from beside her bed. She called after Liv as she slipped them on. "No olives this time!"

"Extra olives, you said? You got it!" Liv shouted back over her shoulder as she walked down the hall. Elsa heard her speaking to the pizza guy as she tied her shoes. "Hi, this is Liv Aren. Yeah, the usual please, but hold the olives… Yeah, if it comes with olives, my baby sister will probably cry all night long, and I just don't want to have to deal with that."

Elsa rolled her eyes and shook her head as she finally headed down the stairs. A quick whistle called Olaf and Marshmallow to her as she walked toward the sliding glass door on the south side of the kitchen.

"Come on, boys. Let's go for a stroll, yeah?" Double checking that they had their collars on first, Elsa opened up the door and let them out into the yard, and she followed behind them. It was a pretty chilly night, but Elsa thrived in the cold. She walked along the path that wound through the woods from their house toward the Coronas. The ever clingy Olaf checked in with her periodically before he'd dart off ahead again in search of his brother. The third time Olaf returned on his own, Elsa sent out a whistle.

"Marshmallow! Come here, boy!" Elsa stopped walking, straining her ears to hear signs of the larger of her dogs, but she couldn't hear anything aside from the distant thumping of the music coming from the clearing between the Aren, Corona, and Fitzherbert properties. Olaf came bounding over again and Elsa knelt down to pet him. "Where's your brother, huh? Can you help me find him?"

Olaf let out an excited bark and darted off, Elsa following closely behind him. That's when the wind picked up in a seemingly unnatural way. _Not this again_ , she thought. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear someone from the Weselton clan was messing with her, but none of them had set foot in Arendelle uninvited since the treaty was enacted. Olaf suddenly jumped back as a large branch was blown into the path. Elsa scooped him up, and stood with her back against a large fir tree, choosing to wait out this wind storm. She heard the loud cracking as a nearby tree began to topple, and she saw the top crashing to the ground about fifty yards away.

And as suddenly as the wind had come, it stopped and the world stilled. She had just heard Marshmallow's crystal clear howl coming from the direction of the fallen tree when she felt it - the unmistakable tug in her gut.

"Oh no, Anna…" She set Olaf down and hurriedly ran toward the fallen tree. Elsa slowed her pace as she rounded the bend in the path and she saw Anna huddled on the ground, Marshmallow standing guard only a few feet away. _What is she doing this far out into the woods? And dressed as Little Red Riding Hood? How appropriate._

"Elsa?"

Did she hear that right? How could Anna possibly know she was near? Unless… Elsa shook her head and stepped out from the shade casted from the trees in the moonlight.

"Anna? What are you doing out here?" Elsa said, voicing her thoughts out loud. Now that she could see Anna more clearly, she saw how disheveled Anna was and her concern grew. "Are you okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine," Anna said as she stood up and dusted herself off. "I was at Flynn's party. I thought I saw something in the woods and followed it... which in hindsight was extremely misguided, but twenty-twenty vision is backwards… Wait, that's not the saying… Anyway, I kind of got a little turned around. Did you get caught in that wind too?"

 _Who picked this costume out? It is ridiculously adorable_ , she thought. Elsa shook her head. "You know it's only a costume? You don't have to play the part."

"Uh… huh? Ha… um. Yeah… kind of ironic."

"A little," Elsa said and she felt herself smile. _What are you doing? Stop it. Don't flirt with her. She's a mortal, a mortal with a boyfriend._ "Come on. I'll take you back."

Elsa started down the path again toward the clearing where she could hear the party going on. She kept her eyes on the path ahead, not daring to look at Anna. Every time she looked at the girl, her resolve to remain distant from her faltered. Elsa felt Anna beside her, having caught up to her and the two dogs.

"What are you doing out here?"

"My house is just beyond that tree line. I was taking Olaf and Marshmallow for a walk," Elsa responded. They bantered for a few minutes, and it felt easy. So easy it put Elsa on edge. If she let her guard down, even for a moment, it could end terribly for all parties involved. Elsa was surprised at how quickly Marshmallow took to Anna. He was always more wary of strangers than Olaf was, but he seemed completely devoted to this girl. Marshmallow even let Anna give him a quick kiss on the nose.

_Oh, Liv is going to be so resentful over this, but dang it if she's not cute with Marshmallow._

"Um… something wrong, Elsa?"

"No, it's just…" Elsa could feel the heat on her cheeks and she just hoped that Anna couldn't see it in the darkness. "Marshmallow doesn't usually warm up to new people so fast. Even Liv has trouble bonding with him sometimes. It's just… surprising."

"I dunno. He seems friendly to me," Anna said before continuing in the sweetest voice ever. "You're da sweetest. Isn't that right, Marsh?"

Elsa watched the interaction and a longing awakened within her. She wanted to hug this girl. Right now. Elsa had never seen Marshmallow readily accept anyone, but he trusted Anna without question. And the way Anna treated him was so charming, Elsa couldn't help but find the quality completely attractive. Maybe Liv was right. Maybe she just needed to 'woman up.' Elsa breathed in deeply and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"Annaaaa!"

 _Ugh. This guy again? Who even_ is _this guy?_ Elsa reflected angrily. She thought she might have heard Anna say something, but she was too irritated to make sense of it. Before she knew it, the bumbling boy stumbled upon them and grabbed Anna by the shoulders. It took all of Elsa's will power not to shove him off.

"Thank goodness. I got worried when you didn't come back and no one seemed to know where you were," the boy said before letting her go.

Elsa took a step back as he continued to check Anna over and ramble on about something, but she didn't pay it much mind. She was looking at him, trying to decide why he seemed so familiar aside from the fact that she was pretty sure that they had math class together. _What is his name again?_

"I'm just glad I found you -"

"How did you find me?" Anna interrupted him.

"An owl told me."

And then it clicked. This was Flynn's friend from middle school. The orphan boy who can talk to animals. Elsa remembered when Flynn started hanging out with Rapunzel more and more. He'd let the blonde boy's secret slip to her cousin one day and the two boys had some sort of falling out over the incident. Elsa didn't recall much more than that. It wasn't something she concerned herself with. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Marshmallow growl protectively.

"Easy, Marshmallow," Elsa said. _That's a good boy,_ she thought proudly. She held a closed fist over his nose, palm side down, indicating for him to sit. He did, but he held a low guttural growl, eyes fixed on the boy. Elsa couldn't tell if the dog was feeding off of her obvious dislike or his own immediate possessiveness over Anna. She decided it was probably better if she got going regardless. "Can I trust you to find your way back, Christopher?"

"Uh… Hey, Elsa. Didn't see you there… But yeah, I know the woods. We'll be fine… And it's Kristoff."

"Excuse me?" Elsa said.

"My name… It's Kristoff, not Christopher…" he said. "We've had classes together since the seventh grade."

"Huh… I apologize." _Perhaps Raps was right. I should start engaging more if I can't even remember this guy's name._ "Well, since your boyfriend is here now, I'm going to head home," Elsa said to Anna. Her eyes flickered to Kristoff once more before fixing Anna with her gaze. She wasn't sure why, but she felt compelled to say one last thing. "Don't wander around the woods at night anymore, Little Red."

Elsa smirked after she spun on the spot, her back to the other two, and started home. She'd caught the blush on Anna's cheeks at her last comment and she felt an inexplicable satisfaction at knowing she'd affected the girl with a simple statement.

"That was a long walk," Liv said when Elsa finally entered the house through the backdoor. The teen just shrugged as she sat at the kitchen island with her sister and pulled a piece of pizza out of the box. "Did something happen?"

"No, why?" Elsa said as she took a bite of the cheesy, and thankfully olive free, slice.

"You're glowing," Liv said, a crooked smile forming on her face. Elsa shrugged again and tried to keep her expression straight; which proved difficult because Liv's smile only grew. "I was thinking we could watch a movie tonight."

"Sure," Elsa said, relaxing slightly. "What movie?"

" _Red Riding Hood_ ," Liv said casually, a mischievous smirk lighting up her face, and she smacked Elsa on the back when she choked on her bite of pizza.

* * *

**03 November 2019**

Elsa woke up later than usual that following Sunday. The sun was streaming through the crack in her curtains, a rare sighting during this time of year in Arendelle. She felt more rested than she had in a long while. Elsa had spent the better part of the night after her movie with Liv (they ended up settling on a Disney movie since Elsa wasn't really a fan of thrillers. The couch always ended up covered in snow whenever they watched one) and the following day thinking about what had happened in the woods during the party.

The boy, which she now knew was Kristoff, had shown up fortuitously. Elsa had been on the edge of breaking her resolve to keep her distance from Anna. She knew, practically, this was the responsible decision to maintain. Anna, and mortals like her, did not belong in their world, but she allowed herself to entertain the idea, even for just a moment. Elsa reprimanded herself late into the night. How could she even consider putting Anna in danger? Nature was pushing Elsa to protect the girl, and to protect her, Elsa needed to keep her at arm's length. Look out for her, keep her from harm, but do so from afar. Involving herself in Anna's life would only distract her from what she needed to do.

Besides, Anna had a boyfriend. He seemed harmless enough. Elsa could see the similarities between their personalities. The easy going nature, the proclivity to be somewhat goofy, the penchant for incessant rambling. They could fit each other, possibly even more than Elsa could ever fit with Anna. Elsa was, in many ways, the Ice Queen that everyone considers her to be. Anna was like sunlight and summer time. She deserves someone that could cultivate that and appreciate the radiance. Elsa's ice cold heart would only serve to dim someone like Anna.

But, despite all the logical reasons she could find to remain an impartial figure in Anna's life, a silent warrior for Nature against whatever seemed to threaten this extraordinary girl, Elsa still longed for the opposite. Anna was always on her mind, and Elsa was all too aware of the girl at all times. The internal struggle was tearing her apart. She needed advice and she needed it now. Her first choice was Kaira, but she wouldn't return until later tonight. Liv was out of the question. As much as she loved her sister and valued her opinion, she already knew what Liv would say - woman up and get your girl. That left Rapunzel, the cousin that was more like a third sister to her, the twin that could have been. The only other person outside of her immediate family that Elsa allowed to see her completely.

Elsa glanced at the clock. It was just after ten in the morning. Rapunzel would have woken up at least a couple hours ago to start another painting or perhaps bake some pastries. She took her time getting dressed before she exited through the back of the house, cutting through the woods to the Corona Manor. She slowed to a normal, human pace as she reached the tree line around the backyard of Raps' home and paused to listen. Just as she had hoped, she could hear the faint voices of Anna and her mother bidding the Coronas a goodbye and thanks for the weekend. Elsa waited several minutes after hearing the Norths drive off to ensure they didn't return for something then unlocked the backdoor of the Coronas' home and entered the large chef's kitchen.

"Hi, sweetheart," Auntie Ari said, causing Elsa to jump. She wasn't expecting anyone in the kitchen at this time, but it seemed her aunt was in the mood to bake something. "You just missed Anna. Her mother picked her up about ten minutes ago."

 _Yes, I know. I find myself too aware of the girl_ , she thought.

"Oh, that's too bad," is what she said.

"I do like that girl," Auntie Ari continued. Her words seemed innocent enough, but her eyes held an implication that made Elsa uncomfortable.

"She does seem nice," Elsa responded, trying to appear casual but knew she was doing a poor job at it so she changed the subject. "What are you making?"

"Scones," Her aunt smiled at her. Understanding her niece's needs, Arianna didn't press further. She handed Elsa a small plate of brownies. "Rapunzel is up in her room. Why don't you take these up with you?"

Elsa took the plate and started out of the kitchen but paused, realizing she'd forgotten something. She turned back around and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek before darting off. She didn't even bother knocking, she knew her cousin was likely aware that she was already there despite Elsa not letting her know beforehand that she was coming over. Elsa handed the plate of brownies to Rapunzel who excitedly took one immediately.

Elsa, on the other hand, began pacing in front of the bed. Her eyes darted around the room and found evidence of the girl everywhere. The trundle bed that Elsa has spent many nights in was still rolled out. There were chocolate bar wrappers in the wastebasket, far too many for Rapunzel alone as her cousin more favored sour candy. There was even the faint smell of the girl's shampoo still in the air. It smelled like strawberries and coconuts and summertime.

 _Stop. Don't be creepy,_ Elsa thought.

Rapunzel nibbled on a brownie as she watched her cousin wear a rut into her floor. She knew Elsa well and could tell that the girl needed to work some things out in her head before they got started on… whatever this was going to be. After a few moments, Elsa finally stopped pacing and turned to face Rapunzel. Her shoulders were slightly hunched and she held her arms across her stomach protectively.

"I have a problem."

"A problem?" Raps asked.

"A quandary of sorts."

"A quandary?"

"Are you just going to keep repeating what I say?" Elsa asked in exasperation.

"You haven't said anything yet."

"Ugh," Elsa huffed and began pacing again, this time clutching at the charms that hung around her neck. She didn't know where to begin. Telling Rapunzel she was gay was easier than talking to her about this.

"Els, you're making it snow and I'm kind of fond of this rug."

"Oh, sorry," Elsa said and waved her hand, clearing away the ice. She sat down in Rapunzel's desk chair and held her forehead in one hand.

"Would this happen to be about Anna?" Rapunzel tried. When she got no response from her cousin, she figured she'd guessed correctly. "I don't know why you're so against getting to know the girl when you so obviously want to."

Elsa picked her head up at that. "I already told you. She's a -"

"Mortal. Yes, I've heard that excuse."

"It's a valid concern!"

"It's a way to hide your feelings," Raps countered so quickly Elsa wondered how long Rapunzel had waited for this conversation to take place. She held up a hand to keep Elsa from further arguing. "Look, I'm not dismissing your concern. I agree that it _is_ valid, but you know as well as I do that I'm also right. You're using it as an excuse to not get close to her. You've used it as an excuse to not get close to anyone outside of our family for a long time."

Elsa had no argument. Rapunzel was right of course, which she often was when it came to these annoying things called emotions and feelings. If Elsa could elect to surgically remove the parts of her brain that caused them, she'd do so willingly. As such, she was stuck with them.

Elsa let out a defeated sigh. "She has a boyfriend."

"Did she tell you that when you found her the other night?"

"She didn't have to."

"Hm." It was Rapunzel's turn to huff. Elsa looked at her to see that her cousin had a sympathetic smile on her face. "Sometimes I think you're too smart for your own good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elsa asked with a frown.

"It means that you see what you want to see," Rapunzel said. When Elsa looked at her, confusion still clear in her eyes, Rapunzel just sighed. "You want a tangible reason to not go for… whatever it is that you're feeling. I wouldn't know, you don't like to talk about it… And Kristoff gives you that out. Your eyes tell you they're a thing because you don't think you can handle it otherwise."

Elsa couldn't decide if this advice was helpful. In fact, she had more questions than ever, but wasn't sure how to put them into words. So Elsa just sighed and grabbed a brownie. _Strange. Even chocolate can't fix… whatever this is._

"I'm guessing that's not what you wanted to hear," Rapunzel deduced from Elsa's silent reticence. "If you're looking for someone to support this insane idea you have that it's best to stay away from Anna, you're not going to find it here. But when you're ready to finally confront this and tell me what's actually going on, I'm all ears."

Elsa looked at her cousin. "Tough love from the literal healer?"

Rapunzel gave her a small smile. "Sometimes that's exactly what a person needs."

* * *

**09 November 2019**

The weather was unnervingly calm out on the pier today. Elsa could hardly believe that she let Rapunzel talk her into going to the end of season pier celebration. There were a lot of people around and she couldn't shake the feeling that Rapunzel was trying to sneak more interactions with Anna under her nose. But her cousin assured her that Anna had a busy day helping the Institute with something and, if the ginger could somehow get away, Elsa was free to disappear if she wanted to.

"Hey, you," Rapunzel skipped over from the group of football players and cheerleaders she was mingling with. They weren't really Elsa's crowd, but then again, a crowd of just herself was more her speed. "I told you I'd let you know if Anna was coming. She just texted. She and Go Go are considering stopping by the pier for lunch."

Elsa turned to the lone vessel a short ways away from where she currently stood. From this distance, she could just make out the two figures standing on its deck, Anna easily distinguishable due to her small stature and deep purple winter coat. Elsa thought back to their interactions throughout the week and guilt washed through her as she remembered how cold she had been. She was sure that Anna was confused by the hot and cold treatment, but as Elsa's head battled with her heart, she couldn't help but seek comfort in one form of certainty - pragmatism. Until Elsa was sure of what Nature wanted of her, she would continue to keep her distance from Anna - protect her from afar.

"I'll head out when she's near."

Rapunzel looked disappointed. "Okay, I'll let you know when she's on her way."

"No need. I'll know."

Rapunzel gave her a curious look, but didn't question her. "Come on, we're all going to the salt water taffy store. They're having a special."

The group of teens spent some time in the various shops, most of the other kids keeping their distance from Elsa, but not questioning her presence. They were used to Rapunzel dragging Elsa along on their outings, but were mostly afraid to approach her. Elsa preferred it this way. As they walked out of the storefront selling various figurines whittled from driftwood, the sound of crashing waves caught her attention. She walked away from the group of kids to look out over the edge of the pier, her cousin following closely behind.

"Is this you?" Rapunzel whispered as they watched the waves dance angrily around them, the spray nearly reaching the boardwalk they stood upon. The choppy waters and large crests were ominous.

"You know that's not my power," Elsa said. Her eyes quickly spotted the single vessel out on the water, the logo of the Marine Life Institute clearly visible now that they were, at most, two hundred yards from the pier. She saw a large swell gathering up with the boat perfectly in its path. Her heart stopped when she realized that Anna was out on the deck of the boat still; there was no time for her to make it inside the cabin.

That tug again. She watched in horror as the wave crashed over the boat. When the mist cleared away, the deck was void of any life forms. Elsa clutched at the wooden railing, eyes combing the sea's surface. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw Anna's head break through, her twin braids a deep auburn instead of its fiery orange when drenched. A white and red life preserver was thrown in Anna's direction from the boat.

"Swim, please," Elsa whispered. She could feel her cousin's grip on her upper arm as they watched Anna battle the dark waters around her.

"Oh no…" Rapunzel gasped, eyes wide. Elsa saw it too. Another large swell was gathering and a quick calculation told her it was going to come down right on Anna's head. She quickly pulled off her jacket as the wave engulfed the girl. "What are you doing?"

Elsa didn't answer as she handed her coat to Raps. She saw another wave fall just as Anna resurfaced again, burying the girl in white foam once more. Elsa waited, searching the waters again for a sign of Anna so she would knew where to swim.

"Where are you? Come on, Anna," Elsa muttered to herself.

"Elsa… it's been too long -"

She didn't even wait for her cousin to finish the thought. Elsa jumped, flipping into an elegant dive, hands breaking the waters' surface with ease. The frigid water was a comfort. It brought clarity to her panicking mind.

_Where is she?_

A faint glow on her left and that familiar tug drew her attention. She turned toward it and saw Anna, grey sunlight from the surface illuminating her unconscious face. Anna was about fifty yards away and sinking fast, but water was Elsa's element and she reached Anna quickly and made her way toward the boat with the small girl in her arms.

"Take her," Elsa gasped when she finally reached the vessel. The Asian woman she'd seen outside of the Institute almost a month ago pulled Anna clumsily into the boat. Elsa climbed up and scooped Anna easily into her arms, carrying her swiftly into the cabin as if she weighed nothing; which, for Elsa, she might as well have.

"How did you -"

"Now is not the time, Go Go," Elsa said as she gently laid Anna on the floor. "Close the door, quickly. Turn on the heaters full blast."

Elsa unzipped Anna's jacket and then the sweater she found underneath. She put an ear to Anna's chest and her own nearly collapsed when she heard nothing. She tilted Anna's chin up, pinched her nose, and connected their lips. A faint pulse of energy knocked in Elsa's chest at the contact, but she ignored it - there was no time to dwell on that now. Two quick breaths followed by chest compressions.

One, two, three…

_You cannot die on me. I will not allow it._

Twelve, thirteen, fourteen…

_Please, do not take her from me. I'm sorry for how I've acted. I promise I will be better._

Twenty-nine, thirty... Two more breaths. Nothing.

One, two, three…

"Oh god, is she -"

"No. Do not even think it," Elsa grunted out between compressions. _I can't have been too late. Nature, please, let me save her._

Twenty-nine, thirty… Two more breaths. Still nothing. Elsa could feel the tears burning, hands shaking in fear.

"Just breathe, Anna," Elsa choked out, the tears falling from her eyes as she started her compressions again. One, two, three… "Please breathe."

Sixteen, seventeen… Elsa pulled back as Anna started coughing, then quickly turned Anna onto her side as she coughed up the ocean water. Her smile was huge as relief flooded through her, and she wiped the fallen tears from her face, only to have more gather in the corners of her eyes. Anna's teal orbs met hers and Elsa's elation grew, but then she noticed how violently Anna was shaking.

 _Shit… she's hypothermic._ Elsa's gaze fell to Go Go.

"Blankets. Anything dry. Quickly." She didn't watch as the other woman darted around the cabin, opening every cabinet and chest she could find. All of Elsa's focus was on Anna. She began taking off Anna's frigid, soaked layers, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand and not the actions she was doing. The more articles Elsa peeled off, the more Anna shivered and Elsa began to panic inside, but she tried to stay calm. Anna needed her to stay calm. Elsa turned to Go Go, "she needs to share someone's warmth. My skin is still too cold."

 _And I'd never generate enough body heat regardless,_ she thought bitterly. She watched as Go Go pulled Anna's shivering body into her arms and a fire lit in the pit of Elsa's stomach. She tried to shake off the feeling and opened up the last blanket to wrap around the pair. _Jealousy won't help anyone right now._

"You should keep one for yourself, Elsa," Go Go said.

"I'm fine. The cold doesn't really bother me," Elsa responded. She made herself busy, trying to keep her mind off the fact that she wasn't the one holding Anna right now. Elsa mentally went through the checklist of hypothermia treatment, making sure she was doing everything right. She'd never been more thankful that her uncle insisted she was CPR and EMT trained in order to be a children's summer guide at the Reservation.

"How did yo… you get here?" Anna's voice was scratchy and it made Elsa frown. Anna's cheery, melodious voice usually had an unmatched clarity. The roughness was just more evidence of how close she'd come to losing her. Elsa found a bottle of water in a small ice chest and helped Anna sip a few mouthfuls. Without thinking, she wiped away a droplet that was left on Anna's bottom lip and her mind immediately went to when she had to give Anna life saving breaths, and she remembered how the girl's lips felt on hers. She gulped when Anna shivered again. "Thank you. I saw you on the boardwalk. How did you get to the boat?"

"Simple," Elsa answered gently. The image of the waves crashing one after another on top of Anna flashed in her mind and her chest tightened with pain and turmoil. She didn't hesitate even though the fall was far enough to injure even the most resilient of her people. The very thought of losing Anna to the ocean was unacceptable. "I jumped."

"Jumped is too basic a term. She more like swan dove into the ocean; ridiculously elegant. It was a 'woman up' level I want to achieve one day," Go Go said. Elsa's eyes flickered to the dark haired woman and saw the appreciation in her eyes, but also the curiosity. Elsa only hoped that Go Go wouldn't push for answers.

"From the boardwalk!" Anna exclaimed, before succumbing to a fresh round of coughing.

Elsa leaned back in with the bottle of water and Anna took a few tentative sips. Elsa's eyes were drawn back to those lips once more. Her mind went to the feeling she'd gotten when she'd first connected her own with Anna's, and she had the urge to try it again.

 _Stop. Now is not the time,_ she chastised herself internally. _She nearly died. Stay focused, Elsa._

"That's incredibly reckless," Anna said once her coughing fit ceased. She had a small frown on her face as she gazed at Elsa sternly.

 _Damn if that's not the cutest angry face I have ever seen..._ "So is not wearing a life vest."

Anna blinked at her several times, and Elsa felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she fought the smile that was trying to peek out. A blush colored Anna's cheeks. "Touché, but it wouldn't fit over all the layers."

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose and she sighed, but didn't respond otherwise. _How am I ever going to keep this girl from harm if she is careless with her own safety?_ Whatever the case, though, Elsa knew she was going to have to change her approach. Obviously her route of 'detached and distant protector' wasn't doing either of them any good. With one more sigh, Elsa looked back at Anna.

"How are you feeling now?" She watched Anna test her mobility and her nerves eased greatly as Elsa came to her own conclusion that Anna would be fine.

"I think I'm okay."

Elsa had never felt more thankful than right now. When she found Anna's heart not beating, Elsa had felt like someone had blocked the sun, removed the light from this world forever. But as she looked at Anna, the light was back, shining brighter than ever as those teal eyes followed her around the cabin. She figured it was time to get Anna back to shore and off of this damn boat before anything else happened to her.

"You know how to sail?"

That brought a smirk to Elsa's face. Of all the questions Anna could ask her in this moment, she chose this? "This isn't sailing, but yes. I can sail."

"You're just full of surprises, Elsa Aren."

Elsa turned, and her grin grew when she saw Anna was sitting up. _She's going to be okay. Don't let anything happen to her again._

"I should hate to be predictable," Elsa said as she walked over to Anna. She picked the girl up gingerly, setting Anna on her feet and making sure she was steady. She felt an urge to hug Anna - out of relief and thankfulness and desire - but she stopped herself. "Stay here in the warmth for a moment, please?"

She disembarked from the boat after she got the affirmative nod from Anna. Once she was out of view from the cabin, Elsa ran, quickly dashing the three miles to her car back at the pier's parking lot where Rapunzel was waiting with a duffle of fresh clothes.

"How is she?"

"Alive," Elsa said. She felt the tears threatening again and quickly looked away from her cousin, though she was sure that Rapunzel had seen.

"And how are you?" Rapunzel said, voice full of worry.

"I'm fine. You know we're made of sturdier stuff."

"Good," Rapunzel said. She smacked Elsa upside the head.

"Ow! What the heck, Raps!?"

"Don't you _ever_ do that again!" Rapunzel reprimanded her. "That was incredibly careless and I just about had a heart attack! What would I have told your sisters if you'd gotten hurt, huh?"

"I'm sorry." Elsa looked at her cousin as she rubbed the new sore spot on her head. She sighed, feeling guilty for the emotional chaos she seemed to have put Rapunzel through. Elsa smiled at her shyly. "I love you too, Raps."

Rapunzel's eyes became shiny and she pulled Elsa in for a hug. "Figure this whole Anna thing out soon before I die from anticipation and worry."

"I'm working on it," Elsa answered sincerely.

* * *

"Anyway, how do I look?"

Elsa looked Anna over. Rapunzel's clothes were several sizes too big and Anna had to fold cuffs in both the pant legs and sweater sleeves to make everything fit. None of that mattered though, Anna still shined like the sun and was as adorable as ever. The outfit was still missing something though. Elsa pulled her own coat off and helped Anna put it on, zipping the front all the way up for her.

"There. You look warm enough to go back out into the cold now."

"Won't you get cold?" Anna asked.

"Not really. I thrive in the cold," Elsa said and turned to exit the cabin. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

"Kristoff isn't my boyfriend!" Anna shouted at her back. Elsa froze as the words sunk in. Did she hear that right? "You seemed to have the impression that we were somehow a thing, but we're not. Not even in the slightest."

Elsa faced her, still unwilling to believe it, but when she met those shiny, turquoise eyes, she saw the truth. Anna was being honest and Elsa had been mistaken. Just like everyone in her life had tried to tell her, but she stubbornly refused to see it. So they weren't matching on Halloween. So every action, every situation that Elsa had read into was exactly what Rapunzel had told her. Elsa had only seen what she wanted to see.

"Okay," Elsa said. _Really? Of all the words in your extensive vocabulary, this is all you can conjure up right now?_

"Okay…?" Anna asked.

"Okay," Elsa repeated. _Alright. I see how it is, brain._

* * *

**27 November 2019**

It had been two and a half weeks since the incident on the Dark Sea. After dropping Anna off that afternoon, Elsa had gone home to find that her two older sisters were waiting for her in the living room.

" _Rapunzel called me," Kaira said as she gestured for Elsa to sit on the ottoman directly across from them. "She had an interesting tale to relay to us."_

" _She did?"_

" _Yes," Liv said in an uncharacteristically serious voice. "Kai and I agreed. It's time for an intervention."_

" _I don't really think that's nece-"_

" _You jumped off a pier," Kai interrupted her. "You've been moody and distant. You've barely been sleeping or eating. You -"_

" _I have decided to yield," Elsa said calmly._

" _\- skipped class. You_ deliberately _jumped off -"_

" _Wait," Liv interrupted the eldest sister and held up her hand when Kaira looked like she was going to protest. "Say that again, Elsa."_

" _I have decided to yield."_

_Kaira frowned, taking several deep breaths. When she spoke again, the frustration was still clear in her tone. "What in Nature's name is that supposed to mean?"_

" _I mean, I've decided to stop fighting this… Whatever this feeling is," Elsa clarified. She spoke with confidence. She hadn't felt this determined in many weeks. "Nature wants me to be with Anna… in some way. So that is what I'm going to do."_

_Her sisters stared at her for a long time until finally Liv jumped up in glee, shouting loudly and making the other two sisters flinch in response._

" _FINALLY! Ugh!" Liv said and she hopped over the coffee table to pick up Elsa in a tight bear hug. "Did you ask her out yet? Where are you going to take her?"_

" _What? No! I did not ask her on a date," Elsa said. Liv dropped her so suddenly, it was a good thing Elsa had superhuman reflexes._

_Liv stared at the youngest sister incredulously, mouth agape before she finally huffed. "I can't! I just… can't with you! You stubborn little -"_

" _So what_ do _you mean, Elsa?" Kaira cut the tirade off quickly._

" _Friends. Just friends," Elsa said, eyeing Liv worriedly in fear of another outburst. Her sister just shut her eyes and shook her head._

" _If that's what you want, then we will support you," Kaira said and she calmly walked around the coffee table and planted a kiss on Elsa's head. "Oh, and snowbug? You're grounded for two weeks. Do not jump off of the pier again."_

Since then, life has been… amazing. Despite being grounded (not that being grounded affected her much), Elsa hadn't felt so light in months. Anna and she were getting along well. They still didn't interact much outside of their chemistry class, but they were working so well together, their teacher was surprised that Anna hadn't set anything ablaze over several experiments now. Their banter was always light, and Elsa found herself looking forward to that class the most.

Plus, Elsa was _finally_ sleeping well again. It seemed that not fighting with what Nature asked of you really calmed the nerves and allowed a girl to sleep restfully through the night. To top it all off, the Junior class was headed to one of her favorite places in Arendelle today - the caverns. The North Mountain, every part of it, was a haven for Elsa, and she was excited to have a reason to return to it. Though mostly, she was excited to indirectly share this place with a certain adorable, ginger girl.

"Wait till you see the subterranean hot spring," Elsa heard her cousin whisper when she snuck over beside Anna.

"There's more?"

"Oh yes," Elsa said and Anna's eyes met hers. "The hot spring is one of the most beautiful sights you'll ever see."

 _Though I'm starting to rethink that opinion,_ Elsa thought as she looked into Anna's bright teal eyes. When Anna started down another rambling escapade, Elsa couldn't help but smirk. _Yeah, I definitely need to rethink that opinion._

"Hey, snow cub. Could I get your help in the southern tunnel?"

Elsa turned to look at her uncle. Her first inclination was to refuse, she wanted to show Anna her favorite part of the caves, but one look at her Uncle Fred's expression and she knew she had to say yes. She followed him toward a cave she knew well, and could immediately feel that something was off.

"Watch your step here," Frederic said. He knelt low and placed a hand on the cave floor. "The ground here is fragile. I've tried reinforcing it, but nothing I try helps. My powers are working fine everywhere else, but this spot here is resisting."

"How can I help?"

"I was hoping you could try. Ice would only be a temporary fix, but with all the kids in the caverns today, I will settle for temporary."

Elsa spent most of the field trip attempting to use her magic to reinforce the cavern floor, but, like her uncle, failed miserably. She walked up and down the southern tunnels testing out her ice in various places. All was as it should be except for in this one spot. It had both of them completely baffled.

"I'm going to check in with Luke to make sure the tours are going smoothly. Make sure none of your classmates come down this tunnel."

"Yes, Uncle," Elsa said as she bent once more to inspect the floor. She heard footsteps approaching and looked up to tell whoever it was that this path was closed, but stopped herself when she saw it was her cousin.

"I was down in the springs and could see your magic dancing around the ceiling just about here," Rapunzel said, gesturing to the floor a few feet in front of her. "It was odd. The ice just kept disappearing."

"Yeah, your dad can't seem to use his ability to reinforce it either," Elsa said with a frown. "It's curious. Can you let Uncle Fred know what you saw?"

Rapunzel nodded and walked off in search of her father. Elsa placed her hand back along the edge of the suspect area and closed her eyes in concentration, willing her ice to fill in all the microscopic spaces between the dirt particles that made up the compromised floor. She was nearly done when that familiar tug pulled behind her navel. Fear gripped her as her head snapped up and her eyes met the deep, blue-green eyes for only a moment.

"Hey, Elsa! What are you -"

"Anna, no! Don't step -"

But it was too late. Elsa watched as the ground beneath Anna's feet crumbled and the girl fell in almost slow motion through the new hole in the cave floor. She briefly saw her cousin and uncle running back toward her before she decided to act. Without another thought, Elsa dove head first through the open hole, Anna's outstretched hands only just disappearing into the darkness below. She attempted to make herself as narrow and aerodynamic as possible to catch up to the falling girl. Elsa could see the ground below quickly approaching. With a wave of her hand, she conjured a pile of snow at least ten feet deep just as she reached Anna.

Grabbing hold of the smaller girl, Elsa quickly pulled her close and attempted to turn the two of them so that Anna would be above her and she could absorb most of the impact herself. Bracing, Elsa shut her eyes and waited for the feeling of her snow pile. Not a moment later, the comforting cold enveloped her. The weight atop her pulled her back to reality quickly, and, as gently as she could, she turned Anna onto her back and looked her over quickly.

 _Thank the Spirits, she seems to be intact,_ Elsa thought. _But why won't she open her eyes?_ Panic began to grow inside of Elsa. Did she hurt her somehow?

"Anna? Are you okay? Anna, can you hear me?" Elsa cupped her cheeks. "By Ahtohallan's grace, please open your eyes."

When Anna still didn't move, a pressure gripped Elsa's chest like never before. She felt the ice in her veins threatening to burst forth. She patted Anna gently, checking to see if anything was broken. _Calm down, Elsa,_ she thought. _Control your fears. Conceal it, don't feel it._

"Am I dead?" asked the sweet voice of the redhead and Elsa's eyes shot back to her face, bright blue eyes meeting teal. The fear and panic Elsa felt moments ago dissipated in an instant. She let out a relieved, breathy laugh.

"No, but it's not without your trying… again," Elsa said, eyebrows frowning very briefly. She stared at Anna, trying to figure out how it was possible that the girl could be so predisposed to danger. She had never met someone so accident prone. Anna needed saving from life threatening situations on an almost weekly basis. She also didn't understand how freckles could be so cute. Her emotions were running so wildly, her thoughts were everywhere. Before Elsa even knew what she was doing, she felt herself brush the back of her fingers along Anna's jawline.

Elsa felt the gasp that escaped Anna's lips at the contact more so than she heard it. The blonde's cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she was thankful that the dimly lit cavern could hide her blush. She was saved from the moment when the voice of her uncle sounded above them.

"ELSA! ANNA! Can you hear me, girls?"

Elsa removed herself from above Anna and pulled her up with ease before discreetly waving her hand to rid the area of any trace of residual snow.

* * *

"Do you have to be on _all_ the time?" Elsa said gruffly as they walked into the house. They'd left Anna and their uncle at Dr. Max's office not too long ago and Elsa could still feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about, darlin'," Liv said in her southern belle accent once more. Elsa just rolled her eyes and started heading upstairs when she was stopped by her eldest sister.

"Not so fast, Elsa. What is this I hear about you jumping fifty feet down a hole in the caverns?"

Elsa turned around to meet Kaira's stern gaze. She was still frustrated over Liv's performance at the doctor's office and now she was getting chastised for saving Anna again. Elsa didn't even have the energy to hide the moody teen sarcasm that colored her tone. "Can you get off my case, Kai? Anna fell through a weak spot Uncle Fred and I were assessing. What was I supposed to do? Let her die?"

"Whoa…" Liv said, letting out a soft whistle.

Kaira waited for a strategic beat, raising an eyebrow at Elsa. "Would you like to try that again, but this time without the attitude?"

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose and took a couple of calming breaths, a mannerism she'd learned from Kaira at a young age. As she quelled her irritation, Elsa realized that her discontent didn't lie with her sisters. She was just projecting it onto the two people she trusted most and the guilt began to build up.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said once she'd gathered herself. She looked first to Liv and then to Kaira. "That was uncalled for and you didn't deserve it. Either of you."

"Takes more than words to hurt me, suga' pie," Liv said, still putting on the act to alleviate a little tension. Elsa did smile at that and Liv gave her a wink.

"Apology accepted," Kaira said. "Now, come sit. Tell me what happened."

They sat in the living room, the set up reminded Elsa of their last discussion following the event by the pier. She told them about the weird anomaly in the cave and how Anna had accidentally found herself stepping right on top of it.

"That girl is so accident prone it could be a disability," Liv said.

Elsa shook her head. "I don't think that's it at all. Something she said after drowning in the Dark Sea implied that this is not an uncommon occurrence. She's been narrowly escaping death her entire life."

"What do you think it could mean?" Liv said, both of the younger sisters looking to the eldest for an answer.

"I haven't a clue," Kaira said. She looked back to Elsa. "You've said before that the circumstances of late have been… out of the ordinary?"

"There have been… strange occurrences. Sudden fierce winds forcing her path through the woods, the inexplicable raging waters on the Dark Sea, and now this at the caverns. Not to mention her propensity for setting fires in the chemistry lab," Elsa said with a little smirk. _She's always so cute when she gets flustered around the fires._ "I've thought over it a lot lately. There's an imbalance around Anna. This feeling I get, that pull toward her. I think Nature is pushing her to me to balance us."

She lifted her gaze to the two older women who were just then turning back to her after sharing a look. Both Kaira and Liv had a sort of glint to their eyes that set Elsa on edge.

"What was that look for?" Elsa asked with some worry.

"While I think there's merit in your assessment, do you really think that's all it is?" Kaira pushed, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "This feeling in your gut, in your chest. You think it's just Nature willing it to be so?"

"Yes…" Elsa said, dragging out the word with a small shrug. "What else could it be?"

"Oh, snowbug," Kaira said with breathy exasperation. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm beginning to agree with Liv. As much as it pains me to say."

"Offensive," Liv said, mock resentment dripping from her voice, but Kaira continued without acknowledging her.

"I've let this go on for too long," Kaira said, an almost regretful tone tainting her normally nurturing voice. She looked at Elsa, a severe air to her gaze. "It's time you start acknowledging the things that you feel. No more concealing them. Let yourself _feel_ them. For starters - quit pretending that you don't care more for this girl than you're willing to admit."

Elsa's ears were on fire and she knew her cheeks were probably glowing enough to reflect off the many shiny surfaces she'd designed this house with. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Oh, don't play dumb, Els. You're far too smart for that," Liv said, flipping her thick, wavy locks over her shoulder. She pointed an accusatory finger at the youngest sister. "The look that flashed across your face a moment ago when you were talking about Anna? That look doesn't lie, dear baby sister. You are completely and utterly smitten. You need to take a chance on yourself and go for it before it's too late."

Elsa looked between her two sisters. Kaira had her kind, motherly smile back on while Liv wore a look that clearly said 'stop torturing yourself and everyone in your life already.' She considered what they were saying and the anxious feeling she was so used to bubbled up within her chest. Elsa would be lying if she said she hadn't considered it. Anna was always on her mind. She haunted her dreams and invaded all her thoughts. Yet, Elsa stuffed it all down. Emotions can be messy and confusing and frightening.

But if she were honest, completely and uninhibitedly honest... the only emotions that she felt around Anna since becoming her friend were positive ones. Anna's rambling made Elsa laugh, her voice made Elsa feel calm and happy, and her smile made Elsa's heart flutter in a way that she wanted to experience again and again. Yet, she held herself back because she was sure that a rejection would crush her in a way she'd never known before. You can't get hurt if you don't put yourself out there.

"What if she doesn't… you know? Feel the same," Elsa said quietly. She was startled when Liv suddenly jumped to her feet.

"What did I just say?" Liv practically shouted in frustration. She leaned both hands on the coffee table separating Elsa from the two elder Arens and looked Elsa in the eyes, their faces so close that their noses were practically touching. "Don't play dumb, snowbug. That girl is so infatuated with you that it's obvious to everyone else. All you have to do is believe it too."

Liv held Elsa's gaze for a considerable moment before leaning back onto the couch next to Kaira. Elsa could see the determination in Liv's eyes. Her sister truly believed what she said. Elsa looked to Kaira next. Her expression had not changed, but that didn't surprise Elsa. Her oldest sister always wanted Elsa to make her own choices. So, Elsa took one last, deep breath.

"Okay," she said. _This word again, Elsa?_

"Okay…?" Liv pressed.

"Okay," Elsa repeated and looked at each sister with resolve. "I will try to court her."

"YES! Aha!" Liv yelled, pumping a fist into the air. Kaira's smile grew into one of true joy, but she eyed Liv warily in case the woman lost control of her limbs in all the excitement. It wouldn't be the first time Liv had smacked her accidentally during one of her celebrations.

Elsa let her sisters settle down for a moment before she asked a practical question that was now weighing her down. "You both know I've never… Do you have any advice?"

"First thing is first, my magnificent baby giraffe of a kid sister," Liv said before she fixed Elsa with a serious stare. "Do not refer to it as," she gestured air quotes, "'courting.'"


	13. The Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.
> 
> Disclaimer 2: We're getting back to the present, but we start in the past so still pay attention to the dates in case you need to refresh yourself. Enjoy!

* * *

" _Pick her up for school… but don't tell her beforehand?"_

" _Yes, snowbug."_

" _I could get her number from Raps. That way she isn't -"_

" _No," Liv practically growled in frustration. "I cannot understand how you can be so smart but so dense all at the same time... Look, it'll be a pleasant surprise. She'll like it, I assure you."_

" _Okay…" Elsa said, making a mental note. "Anything else?"_

" _So much! You can -"_

" _Just," Kai interrupted Liv, putting a hand over her sister's mouth to quiet her. "Step up what you've already done to become her friend. Talk to her outside of your classes. Invite her to your lunch table. Like Liv said, you're smart. I'm sure you'll figure out what comes naturally from that poi- EW! Olivia, that is disgusting."_

_Kaira yanked her hand back and wiped it on Liv's flannel shirt._

_Liv wore a triumphant smile. "Did you eat an orange earlier?"_

* * *

**02 December 2019**

Picking Anna up at home turned out to be a great idea; Elsa only wished that the drive from the Norths' residence was longer. Even driving much slower than normal (the actual speed limit), the car ride lasted only five minutes. What Anna had said about her relationship with Nature was concerning and she would have to remember to mention it to her sisters later. There was something bigger at play here, Elsa could just feel it in her bones.

Elsa caught a group of Sophomores whispering to each other as Anna and she walked passed them on their way to Anna's third period Spanish class. That was something she could do without. Since they'd pulled into the parking lot this morning before school, all eyes had been on them. Elsa knew that they must be the talk of the school already despite only being one period done. Usually people avoided her; averted their gaze, cut a wide path around her. This was new and it was extremely disconcerting. As they neared the Spanish classroom, Elsa's nerves sky rocketed and her hand went to fuss with the charms resting on her sternum unconsciously. Kaira and Liv had made it very clear that establishing a lunch routine with Anna was a pivotal step in the dating process. It was now or never.

_Alright, Elsa. Chin up. You can do this._

"I was wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch today," Elsa said, turning to face Anna as she stood in the open doorway.

"Oh… um. Yeah, sure," Anna said with uncertainty.

"Unless you'd prefer to sit with your usual group?" Elsa felt like someone had dropped a large boulder in her stomach. _Have I completely misread the situation?_

"No!.. I mean yes, I enjoy having lunch with them. They're great… Kristoff and Ryder can be gross sometimes… I mean, boys, am I right? But otherwise, they're a fun group. And Honeymaren is a sweetheart -"

Elsa looked over Anna's shoulder briefly. She had caught a glimpse of Kristoff when she first turned to Anna, but, as usual, Elsa's attention was drawn quickly to the girl. At the mention of his name, she shifted her gaze back and saw that he was watching this interaction very closely. Remembering that Kaira said about letting instinct guide her, Elsa decided to be bolder. She reached over and shushed Anna with a single index finger across the lips.

"As much as I like listening to you ramble, the bell is going to ring. You don't have to decide now, and if you'd prefer to sit at your usual table, I won't be offended. I'll meet you here after class and we can walk to the cafeteria together no matter what you decide. Sound okay?"

"Sounds great," Anna said airily. Elsa smirked because she got the feeling that her instincts were right as she headed off to class.

* * *

Today had been the best day of school that Elsa could ever remember, and she was cursing herself internally for denying both Anna and herself for so long. If she'd just been more open, the last two months could have been filled with days like this instead of tense silences and stolen glances. As she walked Anna to her door (yet another instinctive feeling, though this one mostly born out of a desire for the day not to end), Elsa came to the realization that she wanted more days like this. Elsa longed for what Rapunzel has with Eugene, what her parents had with each other. And she knew she wanted that with Anna.

_Woman up, Elsa._

Elsa reached out and placed the lightest of touches to Anna's wrist and was encouraged when the petite girl turned to her almost immediately. The small gasp from Anna made Elsa smirk. _Everything she does is cute. Okay, now's the time._

"Anna?"

"Ye-yeah?"

 _Just do it. Ask her on a date. You got this._ "Mind that bottom step," Elsa said as she took a step back. _Nice deflection, coward._

"Huh? Oh! Heh. Yeah, I'm not sure what it is about that step. Thanks for the reminder," Anna said. Elsa thought she could see a blush underneath those many adorable freckles. "So… Um… thanks for the ride."

"You don't have to thank me every time," Elsa responded. _Okay, maybe there's a way to salvage this._

"Every time?"

Elsa turned back around and sent Anna the crooked smile Liv said would surely make Anna swoon. "I'll pick you up tomorrow. Same time."

"Oh! I didn't realize... I just thought that... So is this going to be a regular thing?" Anna asked, her bright teal eyes grew wider, catching the sunlight making her already gem-like gaze sparkle.

"If that's okay with you?" Elsa asked back quietly, feeling more vulnerable that she ever had before. Anna nodded eagerly with a wide smile, and Elsa's breath was pulled out of her at the sight. She blinked several times to clear her head; Anna's radiance in this moment was nearly blinding and Elsa was completely captivated.

"Yeah, okay. I would like that very much. Thank you."

Elsa chuckled. "Anna, honestly. You don't have to -"

"Thank you every time," Anna finished the sentence for her, a delightful blush erupting underneath all those adorable freckles. Elsa felt her own ears warm up in response. "Yeah, I heard it, but the words were already out of my mouth. I have that issue sometimes."

"I am vaguely aware," Elsa responded, her smile growing to match Anna's. She turned halfway around before she looked back at Anna who was just about to head up to her front door once more. "That step, Anna."

Anna's foot hovered over the bottom stair of the front landing for a moment before she set it back on the concrete walkway. She grinned at Elsa. "Right! Ha. Silly me," she said before skipping directly to the middle step on her next attempt.

Once they finally said their goodbyes, Elsa found herself driving to the Corona Manor. It wasn't until she'd parked in the driveway that she realized where she was headed, but once she arrived, Elsa knew this is where she wanted to be at the moment. There was too much going on in her head that she needed to talk through and neither of her sisters would be home for hours. Elsa used her key to let herself in. There weren't very many boundaries when it came to the sisters and Coronas. Auntie Ari and Rapunzel were their last living relatives so the young girls had clung to them like a lifeline when their world was turned upside down eight years ago.

"Oh, Elsa sweetheart! I was wondering who was here," Arianna said as she came through from the kitchen. She eyed Elsa carefully, her gaze discerning. "Something is different about you today. Have you finally told Anna how you feel?"

"What?! I… no, I just…" Elsa paused. There was no use in lying, her aunt could decipher her aura as easily as Elsa could solve a complex math problem. "I'm trying. I do like her very much."

"As I thought. You're much brighter today; more pinks and greens and less of your usual blues and greys. It suits you, sweetie," her aunt said and gave Elsa a pat on the cheek. "Plus, I do like that girl. A bit of an enigma, but she's a dear. And I've grown quite fond of her mother. Anyway, Rapunzel is up in the music room."

"Thanks, Auntie Ari," Elsa said and she gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek before starting upstairs. She made it halfway before a thought struck her. She called back down to her aunt. "Auntie Ari, what do you mean she's an enigma?"

Arianna glanced up to where Elsa stood on the staircase. "Her aura seems rather dim for someone who shines so brightly in every other way. It's just strange, is all. She's a lovely girl, so I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about."

"It _sounds_ concerning," Elsa said with worry. To her, this was just more evidence supporting her theory that something was off balance with the girl, and that Nature was guiding Elsa to her.

"She could have a natural shield from powers like mine. So potentially Kai's as well," her aunt said thoughtfully. "I've never met a mortal with one myself, but I have heard tales."

Elsa digested that, tucking the information away to research later and then headed up the rest of the stairs in search of her cousin. Rapunzel was exactly where her aunt said she would be found, plucking away on her guitar as Elsa walked in. Elsa waited patiently as Raps finished writing down something on her sheet music. Her cousin wore a slight frown, and her mouth was as thin as a line. Elsa knew immediately that Rapunzel was upset with her, and she guessed it had to do with the realization that Elsa hadn't divulged their heritage to Anna yet. It wasn't long before her speculation was proven correct.

"You haven't told her," Rapunzel said, her back to Elsa as she put the guitar on its stand. When Elsa didn't answer, she turned to her with an annoyed look. "Why? You can't hide it from her forever."

"I know," Elsa said. "Everything is still new though. So for now, just don't mention anything, okay? And make sure Eugene keeps his mouth shut."

"He's not going to like it," Raps responded, rubbing a temple. "He is _so_ excited to have another human to talk to about all of this."

"I'll tell her eventually. It's just… how am I even supposed to start that conversation? 'Hey, Anna. How do you feel about being the girlfriend to someone who can encase the entire town in an eternal winter should she feel compelled?'... It's ridiculous really, and even just one day proved hard to keep it secret," Elsa said in one long breath. She sat down on the small loveseat in the corner and ran a hand over her necklace. "You're lucky that Eugene has known for your entire relationship."

"Lucky?" Rapunzel said incredulously, standing quickly and drawing Elsa's gaze to her. Her cousin was suddenly livid, her hands gripping the edge of her cardigan in frustration. "You think it's lucky how Eugene discovered my powers? He basically _died_ , Elsa. I had to save his life."

"Rapunzel, I know. I didn't mean it that way." Elsa stood up and held her hands up in front of her in submission. She looked at Raps with imploring eyes. "That was very insensitive. I'm sorry."

Rapunzel studied Elsa for a moment. The sincerity in Elsa's voice and apologetic look in her eyes were easily detected by someone as empathetic as Rapunzel, and the grip the healer had on her sweater loosened. She nodded and walked over to Elsa, pulling her into a hug. Elsa was used to this type of response from her cousin. While Elsa generally relied on meaningful glances and subtle rhetoric, Rapunzel showed her intentions through action.

When Rapunzel pulled away, she sat back on her low, cushioned stool and sent Elsa a playful look as if the almost-fight had never even happened. Elsa took the cue and sat back down on the sofa. "So… girlfriend huh?"

Elsa blinked several times. "What?"

"You're going to ask Anna to be your girlfriend?"

"I didn't say anything of the sort."

"You literally did two minutes ago." Rapunzel rolled her eyes, and Elsa thought back on their conversation and it dawned on her. The realization must have shown all over her face because Raps smiled brightly and gave a small laugh. "There it is. Let me guess. You almost asked her today, but chickened out. So you came here for some advice from your ridiculously smart, absolutely intuitive, and annoyingly beautiful cousin?"

Elsa was thrown again. "When did I become so transparent?"

"Oh, Els. You've always been so very readable. Well, to family at least," Rapunzel said, a trace of sympathy underlying her playful tone. "We just pretend not to see it because you prefer it that way."

"Hm. I must work on that."

"We'd still see through you anyway," Raps said, waving her hand dismissively to get the conversation back on track. "Anyway - about Anna. There's no need to rush this. No one is going to swoop in on your territory. Do what feels right and just be yourself."

"Cold and socially awkward?" Elsa asked sarcastically.

"Considerate and perceptive," Rapunzel said pointedly with a shake of her head. "And you're not cold, Elsa. Far from it, actually. As I was saying though, just be yourself. Anna already likes you. It's all about timing now, but you'll know when to make the right moves."

* * *

**11 December 2019**

_Ugh, I'm really beginning to dislike lunch on Chemistry days_ , Elsa thought. She looked over to where Anna was sitting across the cafeteria with her other friends. That pull came, the one Elsa now found comfort in. After a couple weeks, it no longer felt like it meant danger. It only meant that Anna was near. The girl in question turned and met her gaze, making Elsa smile, but Anna's attention was diverted by Kristoff. Elsa would never admit that she used her superior hearing to eavesdrop.

"Great. Want to work on it this weekend? We can meet at Oaken's and knock it out over some coffee or something?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That's fine. Saturday morning?" Anna's crystal clear voice came to her from across the cafeteria.

Kristoff glanced in Elsa's direction, and she averted her eyes quickly so he wouldn't see her watching. Elsa heard him say, "Yeah, Saturday morning works."

"You know it's rude to eavesdrop," Rapunzel's voice broke her concentration.

"I was doing no such thing."

"Mmhm," Raps said, unconvinced. "So what did you hear?"

Elsa thought about doubling down on her denial for a second, but she wanted advice more than she wanted to maintain her perceived high ground. "They're going to Oaken's on Saturday morning to work on a project."

"Ah, I see. You know, green is not a good color on you, cousin," Rapunzel teased and Elsa threw her a hard glare to which Rapunzel just giggled.

The bell rang then and the two cousins walked toward the east wing of the building where their separate homerooms resided. As they neared the hallway that Rapunzel would turn down to go to Biology, Elsa whipped an arm out to stop her when she heard Anna speaking.

"We're just friends."

"But you want to be more," Elsa heard Kristoff say. Elsa's heart started beating faster as she waited for an answer, but none came. She wished she could peek to see Anna's face, but she also didn't want to get caught.

"She does," Rapunzel whispered to her. Elsa turned to her cousin, eyes wide and questioning, and Raps smiled. "I think your timeline just moved up."

As if to emphasize Rapunzel's statement, Kristoff's baritone voice carried around the corner. "Until it's official, I'm not going to give up hope."

"Chin up, Els," Rapunzel said, tapping Elsa under the chin with her index finger. Then she rounded the corner to her classroom.

Elsa didn't even remember getting to her fifth period class. She couldn't even begin to tell you what today's French class was about at all. All she could think about was how she would go about getting Anna out on a date soon. After what felt like an eternity, the bell finally rang and Elsa nearly dashed to the Chem lab inhumanly fast. Somewhere between the French and Chemistry classrooms, Elsa had come to her decision. Actually following through with that decision was the difficult part. Elsa tried picking up their usual banter a couple times once they were set loose to perform a simple titration, but Anna seemed distracted, her answers were short and sometimes Elsa had to repeat herself more than once.

"You're rather quiet today. Something on your mind?"

"Hm? Oh no… I mean, I guess? But it's nothing really," Anna said, but didn't look up to meet Elsa's eyes.

_She's working, Elsa. Be reasonable._

"Hm." Elsa watched the chemical reaction occur and knew she was running out of time. She was going to commit to her decision one way or another. _It's now or never, Elsa Mackinley Aren. You can do this._ "I was wondering if you'd like to go to Oaken's after school?"

"Oh dang it!" Anna exclaimed and Elsa looked down and saw ink splatter on Anna's notebook from her fountain pen. When Elsa had picked up the dropped pen on Anna's first day, she wondered why the girl would choose such an impractical writing utensil for high school, but now she couldn't imagine Anna writing with anything else. "I'm sorry. What?"

Elsa put on her crooked smile, but she could feel it slip as her courage dwindled. "This lab report is going to require the use of both sets of our notes. I thought maybe we could go to Oaken's and complete it together over some hot chocolate."

"Oh... Um…"

"Unless you are busy after school -"

"No!" Anna shouted and then she looked around quickly, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "Sorry. Nothing to see here. Everything is perfectly perfect." Anna waited for the rest of the class to stop looking at them ( _ugh, teenagers are so nosy_ ). "Ah-heh. Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. I just meant no, I don't have anything after school. I'd love to go to Oaken's."

"Okay good. Then…" Elsa paused slightly. _Be clear, Elsa._ "It's a date."

"Okay. Yeah… good. A… a date," Anna said. She wore the cutest 'deer in headlights' look Elsa had ever seen.

* * *

Elsa listened as Anna went on about a sunset; the description so vivid, she could almost see it through Anna's eyes. She was suddenly struck by how completely invested she was in this radiant girl - the one who personified the tranquil and vibrant description herself. Elsa now understood her family's frustration with her stubborn denial of these feelings. It maddened her very self just thinking about all the time she'd wasted trying to push this girl away; this beautiful, kind, shining girl.

Who was now looking at her expectantly. Elsa realized that Anna had stopped talking a while ago, but she had been too busy admiring her to register it. _Get it together, Elsa. Stop ogling._

"You have a way with words," Elsa said quietly, remembering again what Anna had been talking about that had sent Elsa into her internal musings. "I could imagine it perfectly. It sounds wonderful."

"It really is," Anna said. "I do miss it at times, but I'm pretty happy with where I am right now."

 _Where she is now? Does she mean here with me?_ Elsa thought. Even the prospect of such an idea brought a smile to her face. The jingle of the bell above the entrance caught her attention and her eyes flickered briefly toward the door over Anna's shoulder. Elsa did a double take and her heart stopped when she found Kaira smiling at her. She stilled when her eldest sister walked right over to them after a quick wave at Oaken.

"Hello, girls. Enjoying your afternoon?"

Anna was the first to respond because Elsa was too busy trying to gather her thoughts. It was very out of the ordinary for Kaira to stop by Oaken's in the afternoon, a fact that she had been counting on. Elsa glanced around and noticed several eyes dart away. _Small towns and their gossips,_ Elsa thought bitterly.

"Hey, Kai. What are you doing here?" Elsa asked, trying to keep her voice light and airy, but even she heard how nearly manic she sounded.

"I was just passing by on my way back to the office and found I fancied a cup of Oaken's cocoa," she answered. "How fortuitous it was that I should run into you two here."

" _Also, the only way I could convince Liv not to come after word of you two reached City Hall was to offer to come myself. I'd say that this is the more preferable scenario,"_ Kaira's voice whispered in Elsa's mind as she gave her younger sister a wink.

"Yes, quite," Elsa responded. _No, what's preferable is neither of you here._

" _Tut tut, snowbug. Can you blame me? It's like watching your baby take her first steps."_

Kaira turned her smile back to Anna. "Are you attending the tree lighting this weekend, Anna? It's simply magical to witness."

"Oh! I wasn't aware that the town did a tree lighting."

"It's a big event for City Hall, snowbug. I'm disappointed you haven't mentioned it yet." Kaira had turned to Elsa once more. " _Ask her to the festival. It's bound to be romantic. The perfect opportunity for a first kiss._ "

 _Kai! This is only our first date and the tree lighting is only a few days away_ , Elsa thought.

" _And? You've been dancing around this thing for months. Plus, you said it yourself - Nature wants you to be together. What's the use in waiting longer?"_ Kaira pushed. Elsa felt Kaira searching her. _"You've already considered it anyway."_

_Don't probe, Kai. That's not fair._

" _My apologies. You just don't tell me things anymore._ " Kaira's voice in her head sounded sad. Elsa knew that was true. It was natural that teenagers pulled away from their parents - or, in this case, parental figures - but it didn't make it okay. So she sighed and decided to give her big sister this.

"It's on Saturday evening. My sister is right, it's a wonderful event," Elsa said. "I was planning on asking if you'd like to go... With me, I mean. If you don't already have plans."

"I don't have plans," Anna replied quickly before smiling. "I'd love to go with you."

" _That's my girl,_ " Kaira said proudly in Elsa's head before she left them be.

* * *

"Anna?" Elsa called out. Her resolve was faltering, but the moment Anna's smiling face turned back to her, her heart fluttered anew.

"I know - watch the bottom step," Anna quipped. A little playful smile that Elsa had never seen before graced Anna's lips and drew Elsa's eyes to them. The butterflies in Elsa's stomach now felt like oversized ravens flapping up a windstorm inside of her.

"No, I…" Elsa hesitated. _Get out of your head._ She closed her eyes because that smile Anna wore made it so Elsa couldn't think clearly. The time was right. She knew that. They had a wonderful time at Oaken's, and if she admitted it, Elsa knew she didn't want their first kiss to be at the tree lighting. There'd be too many people and it was something she wanted to be intimate, a moment shared between the two of them only. Plus, it would be Elsa's first kiss ever. She wanted it to be right for both of them. _Come on, Elsa. You can do this._

A deep breath. A step forward. She let instinct guide her hands and then…

"If I may?" she asked. _Really? Words? NOW?_

"Could you repeat that?" Anna asked in nothing more but an airy breath. Elsa raised an eyebrow ( _her everything is so cute_ ). "Your... everything is very distracting."

Elsa smirked at the irony that Anna's thoughts were nearly identical to hers before she repeated herself. "If I may?"

"You may," came Anna's whispered reply. Elsa closed the gap and then…

Magic. Elsa wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this was beyond even her imagination. The moment they connected, an energy surged through Elsa. It heightened her senses, made her heart skip, caused the world to fall away around them. The only thing Elsa was aware of was Anna; Anna's cheek against her hand, Anna's lips on hers, Anna's breath between them. Nothing else mattered. But as all good things must do, the kiss ended and Elsa pulled back.

The first thing she saw were teal eyes shining with affection and happiness and it made Elsa's chest swell. Then those eyes looked past her and a curiosity ignited within them. That's when Elsa noticed the stillness that wasn't there before. She tried not to panic as she registered that the frozen crystals that had been falling were now suddenly suspended, unmoving in a most unnatural way.

_Calm down. Breathe._

The world restarted and Elsa relaxed as she became aware again of where she was and of who she was holding in her arms. This moment was perfect… Then the porch light flickered.

* * *

"Hey there, snowbug," Kaira said as Elsa walked into the house. Her eldest sister was setting the last plate on the table and gestured for her to sit. There was a tension in the air that Elsa couldn't quite identify, but it set her on edge regardless. She looked at Liv questioningly, but the usually boisterous sister was avoiding her eyes, lips pursed tightly into a straight line.

Dinner started out a quiet affair. It wasn't typical when all three of them were together, but Elsa welcomed the silence tonight. The kiss was still on the forefront of her thoughts, and she was sure she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself if she was expected to participate in any sort of conversation. Liv was acting strangely, much quieter than usual, but Elsa wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. After about ten minutes, the middle sister cleared her throat and glared at their older sister pointedly. Kaira rolled her eyes and sighed before she fixed her gaze on the youngest at the table.

"Something curious happened earlier, Elsa," Kaira said.

"Oh?" Elsa said innocently.

"Mmhm," Kaira said. "The snowfall just suddenly… ceased; hung in midair. Strange, no?"

Elsa carefully chewed the broccoli she popped into the mouth; both so she wouldn't choke as her throat had gone dry and so she wouldn't have to verbalize an answer.

"You wouldn't happen to know what that may have been about?" Kaira pressed.

Elsa swallowed her mouthful and then took time to wash it all down with her ice water. Her sisters were looking at her expectantly. Elsa was suddenly extremely hot; she was sure her ears were a brighter red than they'd ever been. She looked at each of her sisters in turn before her constitution wavered and she focused her eyes on her plate, pushing the food around aimlessly. Despite Kaira being the telepath, Elsa felt like it was Liv who could see through her easily.

"I… may have some idea, yes." Elsa barely got the sentence out; her embarrassment was just too much to handle. Suddenly, Liv gasped, eyes wide and jaw nearly hitting the floor, but she quickly closed her mouth and looked eagerly at the eldest of the sisters. Kaira raised an eyebrow before she nodded.

"Okay, fine. You may -"

"You kissed her. Didn't you?" Liv asked before Kaira could finish, the excitement clear in her voice. Kaira gasped and her head turned to Elsa so quickly, her braid swung from one shoulder to the other. Clearly this was not what the eldest was expecting Liv to say. Elsa continued to stare at her food and tried to hide the small smile that was playing at her lips as she thought of the kiss again. That was enough confirmation for her sisters anyway. Liv pumped a fist above her head. "HOT DAMN!"

"That's my girl," Kaira said as Liv practically jumped over the table and pulled Elsa into a bone crushing hug. Elsa couldn't help but laugh along with Liv. She was happy. So very, very happy.

* * *

**14 December 2019**

"You've really outdone yourself on this one, snowbug," Liv said as she hung an ornament on the community tree in Town Square. "It's magnificent."

"It kind of just came to me," Elsa said with a shrug. It wasn't a total lie. She designed this tree with Anna in mind; their first kiss being her inspiration. Her design was an homage to the snow that hung suspended in the air that night. And Anna _did_ just come into her life so there's that. Just as Elsa handed her sister the last icy ornament, her ears were assaulted by loud singing coming from Rapunzel's pocket.

"Sorry!" Raps said as she pulled her phone out.

"You really need to change that ringtone," Elsa mumbled.

"Hey, Kristoff! I'm guessing you _forgot_ to take notes in biology again… Anna? No, Elsa said she was studying with you this morning," Rapunzel spoke into her phone. Elsa looked over, her interest piqued at the mention of the ginger. She saw Raps check her watch. "What time was she supposed to meet you?... That's nearly an hour ago -"

"Raps?" Elsa said, worry instantly spiking. _Stay calm. Don't jump to conclusions._

"Okay, see you in a second," Rapunzel said and hung up while quickly firing off a text to Anna. "He's on his way. I'm sure everything is fine."

"What's going on?" Liv asked as she descended the ladder she was using to put up the last of the decorations on the tree. She didn't get an answer though as Kristoff came running across the square.

"Where is Anna, you brainless oaf?" Elsa said in an angry and frustrated tone immediately upon seeing him. _So much for staying calm._

"Elsa, it's not Kristoff's fault," her cousin said, but Elsa was too anxious to listen.

The boy held up his hands in front of him as if the daggers Elsa was staring at him were real weapons, and breathing heavily like he'd just run a great distance. "She never showed up to work on our project. At first I thought she just overslept because Anna's not a morning person, but after forty minutes of waiting, I decided to check her house. No one is home."

Elsa felt the panic rising, bile threatening to build up from the sudden anxiety. Her hand went to the charms on her neck, seeking comfort in something familiar. She closed her eyes and willed for that tug to pull at her; she begged for Nature to give her a sign. Elsa began to pace as her mind wandered to its darkest places, bringing forth her deepest seeded fears. Was it possible that they know? Have they tried to take her too?

She felt strong hands take a hold of her shoulders and she stopped moving. Elsa looked up and found Liv looking at her intently.

"Calm down. There's no reason to panic just yet," Liv said.

"But, Liv, what if -"

"No. Don't let your imagination run away from you," Liv said with authority. She then looked at the three teenagers, the wheels turning in her mind as she created a plan. After a moment, Liv nodded and looked at Kristoff. "You still have that thing with the animals?"

"Yeah," Kristoff said. "Though I have a hard time understanding animals without antlers."

Liv blinked at him. He gave her a sheepish look and shrugged. Liv just shook her head. "Okay, I'll tell Kai we're taking a break. I don't want to alert anyone just yet. We all know how Iduna can be. Kristoff and I will head about town on foot, following whatever the animals can dredge up for us.

"You two girls take Elsa's car. Check anywhere you think Anna might have gone today, but not the Institute. I've already texted Go Go and she said Anna isn't there," Liv relayed and then checked her watch. "One hour. If we don't find her by then, I'm sounding the alarms."

Rapunzel jogged off to grab her bag while Kristoff stuck two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud, high pitched whistle. Elsa stood there, hugging her middle, still trying to gather her wits.

"Liv. I don't know if I -"

"Don't think on it, snowbug," Liv said. She pulled her little sister close and gave her a kiss on the crown of her head. "Just focus on what you can do now. We'll deal with whatever comes next if the time comes."

"Come on, Els. We'll start at her house. See if we can track her from there," Rapunzel said as she came back to her side. Liv gave Elsa's shoulder another encouraging squeeze before the two girls hurried off to Elsa's car. After she pressed the push to start button, Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you need me to drive?"

Elsa shook her head in response to her cousin's offer. "No. I need to feel in control of something right now. Driving will have to do."

Elsa drove very quickly to Anna's house and both girls jumped out. She noticed two paths cutting through the snow that lay fresh on the front yard.

"This must be Kristoff," Rapunzel said pointing at the larger prints that cut diagonally across the yard going to and from the direction toward the town square. "These smaller ones look like they could be Anna. There's only prints leading from the front door, but why would she cut through the yard?"

Elsa used her powers to dash up toward the front door without sinking into the snow. "It looks like there's fresh salt on the walkway today. It was probably icy when she left."

Rapunzel looked up and down the street as Elsa traversed back across the snow. "Which way do you think she'd go?"

"I don't know," Elsa said with a frown.

"You can't feel her at all?"

"I've tried. I can't call upon it. It just happens," Elsa said without thinking.

"So my suspicions are right? You and Anna share some sort of bond?" Rapunzel said, her eyes shined inquisitively.

Elsa looked at her, a little disappointed at herself for letting it slip. It felt like a private bit of information, especially if her own suspicions of Anna feeling the same thing turned out to be true. Too late to backtrack on that now. "Yes, it feels like a pull. It tells me that Anna is close"

"Then let's use that," Rapunzel said quickly, walking toward the car. "Drive around. We'll start north near the reservation and make our way through town. Maybe we can get close enough to her and that bond will lead us in the right direction."

It was a better plan than anything Elsa could think of in her current state of mind, so she hopped in the car and drove off toward the Ranger station quickly. They slowly crossed up and down side streets and snow covered dirt roads, painstakingly making their way through every available path accessible by car. With each dead end, Elsa's nerves became more and more frayed. She tried not to fear the worst, but her pessimism was beginning to win out with each passing minute.

"She's going to be fine, Els," Rapunzel said for the dozenth time, though her tone was seeming less and less confident with each utterance.

"You don't know that," Elsa said. Past experiences told her otherwise. "Raps… what if… what if _they_ somehow learned about her? We both know they won't honor this treaty forever."

"This isn't like that. Anna isn't your mom," Raps said and quickly placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder to keep her from arguing. "She's not. You shouldn't project that onto her. You'll torpedo this relationship from the start if you think that way."

"I know… It's just… I'm so worried that they'll use her as a pawn in their games," Elsa confided. "Another war is imminent, we know that. They haven't forgotten who I am and I'll have to confront that when the time comes. This relationship puts Anna in danger."

"That's a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders, Els," Raps said.

"I have to be prepared," Elsa said gravely. They were already approaching Anna's house once more on their way through town. Before her cousin could say anything further, Elsa's phone rang and Anna's name appeared on the dash. Elsa quickly pressed the answer button on her steering wheel. "Anna! Thank the spirits. Are you okay? Where are you?"

" _Sorry to worry everyone_ ," Anna's voice came through the car's speakers. " _I lost track of time at the library. There was like, zero reception in there. I didn't get anyone's messages until I stepped outside._ "

"Okay, do not go anywhere. We'll be there in thirty seconds."

" _What? You're coming here?_ " Anna asked, but Elsa didn't bother answering as she rounded the corner to turn toward the school, not bothering to slow down once. The magnetic tug offered her more comfort than ever before and relief flooded her entire being when she spotted the purple winter coat standing just outside of the library entrance. Elsa had barely shifted the car into park before she jumped out and sprinted toward Anna.

 _She's not kidnapped. She's not in immediate danger. She's fine._ Elsa kept repeating the words in her head until she finally had Anna in her arms, the tangible proof finally freeing Elsa of the dregs of her anxiety.

"I guess that answers that. How did oh-"

Elsa allowed herself to be guided by her heart this time and planted a fervent kiss on Anna's lips. She decided, in this moment, nothing will ever tear her from this girl again. She'd protect Anna with her life if it came down to it.

"Never do that to me again," Elsa whispered. Being vulnerable was hard for her, but Anna gave her the strength.

"I… I won't. I'm sorry, it wasn't on purpose," Anna whispered back. Elsa could read the concern in her eyes. "There's really terrible reception in there."

 _Why did I design it with so much concrete?_ Elsa glared at the building. "I'll speak to Liv about that."

* * *

Elsa was sure she couldn't possibly be any happier than she was at this moment. Anna liked her back. The girl who was sunlight and summertime wrapped in a bow disguised as strawberry-blonde braids. The same girl who was giving her another kiss in the same spot that Elsa first plucked up the courage to kiss the girl first. Elsa's new favorite place in Arendelle just might be the front walkway of the Norths' residence.

"G'night, Elsa."

"Good night," she replied and turned around. Elsa knew if she didn't leave soon, she wouldn't want to leave at all. She nearly made it to her car when a thought struck her.

 _Wait, the step_. Elsa spun around, but it was too late.

"Whoa!"

Without thinking, she reached her hands out and conjured a pile of snow just underneath the falling girl. Elsa immediately regretted it. It was wholly unnecessary. At most, Anna would have had a sore backside for a couple days, but Elsa reacted on impulse. Protecting Anna had been her first priority for weeks now, and the response was almost involuntary. Elsa watched with dread as the reality of the situation registered in Anna's expression when the girl finally looked up at her.

"How did… Did you just…" Anna stammered.

Elsa lowered her hands and took two steps toward her. "Anna, I can explain -"

"I KNEW IT!"

Elsa froze on the spot while Anna gracelessly clambered out of the snowpile and back onto her feet. "You… you what?"

"I knew it! Ice powers, right? Score one for the Anna-sleuth!" Anna grinned widely.

 _She knows I have ice powers?_ Elsa was so confused. "I'm sorry. I'm confused."

"Well I haven't worked out all the details myself," Anna said as she brushed the snow off her bottom. She started rattling off thoughts at an alarming speed. "But circumstances around recent events have been curious… I was pretty sure we landed on a pile of snow in the caverns, but it disappeared suddenly… and the cold in the Dark Sea didn't phase you at all…"

"Anna, slow down for a -"

"And you seem to be able to get from class to class impossibly fast… oh and how the snow acted after we had our first kiss... like it just got stuck in the air…"

"I didn't think… You saw how -"

"Plus your necklace matched the water symbol on the book…"

"Book? What book?" Elsa asked and Anna finally stopped her barrage of words.

"Oh! Right, I found a… you know, what? I'll just show you." Anna grabbed her hand and led her up the front steps. She slipped on the bottom one (again) and Elsa steadied her, but the blonde was still too shocked by the turn of events to comment on the misstep. Before Elsa could even register what was happening, she was standing in the small entryway of Anna's home as the ginger girl ran down a hallway. She returned with a slender, hardcover book in hand. "I found this at the library this morning."

Elsa took the book from Anna and recognized the children's story. When they'd done the renovation on the library, Elsa had added this book to the children's area she'd designed in honor of her mother. She ran a hand over the cover, paying special attention to the metallic blue diamond that represented her family.

"I saw that symbol," Anna said, pointing to the image Elsa was concentrating on. "And I recognized it from your necklace and Kaira's earrings. Oh! Does Liv wear something too? A bracelet maybe?"

"Liv was always too rambunctious to be trusted with jewelry so she got it tattooed on her arm for her eighteenth birthday instead. Kaira was very upset," Elsa said distantly, still disoriented by the current situation. She finally looked up from the book and into Anna's eyes. Elsa was afraid of what she might find. Horror? Revulsion? Anger? Instead, all she saw was care, concern, and possibly fascination. "You're much more observant than I gave you credit. I'm sorry."

Anna waved a hand dismissively. "Psh! I get it. My awkward rambling and general clumsiness overshadow my deductive reasoning skills."

Elsa smirked at that. Anna wasn't wrong, but not completely right either. "And here I thought it was because you're so abundantly adorable that I was distracted."

"Is that a short joke?" Anna asked, squinting playfully at Elsa with a small grin.

"Not at all," Elsa said, pulling Anna close, easily wrapping her arms snuggly around Anna's waist. "Though your stature is a contributing factor. Like a travel sized girlfriend."

Anna giggled. "I like the sound of that."

"Travel sized?"

"Girlfriend," Anna clarified happily. To her surprise though, Elsa frowned a little. "What is it?"

"You aren't… frightened?" Elsa said timidly. Anna was taking this all so very well. Elsa couldn't be sure she didn't hit her head or something when she fell in front of the house. That would make much more sense.

"Nope," Anna said without hesitation. "Should I be?"

"Yes," Elsa said very quietly. Elsa's eyes became distant; pain and turmoil swirling in its ocean blue depths. Anna was startled by the sudden show of emotion. She reached up and placed one hand on Elsa's cheek, making the blonde look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere," Anna said, determination underlying each word. Before Elsa could respond, they heard keys inserting into a lock and stepped away from each other quickly before the door opened.

"Oh!" Iduna exclaimed, jumping at the sight of figures standing just inside the door. "Sorry, girls! You startled me."

"Hey, mom," Anna said as she helped her mom take her coat off. "Sorry, we just got in and didn't make it past the door."

"Good evening, Dr. North."

"Oh, Elsa dear. There's no need to call me that," Anna's mom said. "You can call me Iduna, really."

"Okay. Thank you, Iduna." Elsa slightly bristled internally. It felt wrong calling an adult, especially the mother of her girlfriend, by their given name. She would just have to get used to it.

"Are you girls hungry?" Iduna asked, but then she furrowed her brow. "Actually, I don't even know what time it is."

"We ate at the festival," Anna said. "Are you just getting home from the Institute now?"

"Oh, yes. It was quite a day. The therapy pools ended up in the rescue bay and all the laboratory benches were somehow delivered to the wrong building," Iduna sighed. "It was a general mess... But how was the festival? I'm sad I missed it."

"It was magical," Anna said honestly. Elsa grinned. She was pleased that Anna was pleased. "The tree is beautiful. I'll take you to see it tomorrow."

"That would be lovely," her mother said. "Would you girls like tea or something?"

"Actually, I should probably go," Elsa said. Anna pouted a little, making Elsa smirk. She hadn't seen Anna make that face before. It was probably the cutest one yet. "I promised my sisters I would help with breaking down the festival so I should head back. Thank you for the offer though, Dr. No… Iduna. You have a lovely home."

"Thank you, dear. You drive safe," Iduna said as she exited toward the kitchen. "And don't be a stranger."

After her mother was out of ear shot, Anna turned back to Elsa. "But I still have so many questions!"

"I will answer all of them tomorrow," Elsa said with a grin. Trust and honesty. Elsa would give that to her. Anna needed to know the whole truth before Elsa could even think about taking this relationship any further.

"Ugh. You know I don't have that kind of patience," Anna pouted once more. She looked at Elsa sternly and Elsa tried to keep her smile from growing. She wanted Anna to know she was taking her seriously. "Tomorrow?"

"Mmhm," Elsa laughed. Anna wished she could bottle the feeling that Elsa's laugh brought to her heart. Elsa walked to the door, Anna following closely behind. "I'll pick you up at nine. I know that's early for you on a weekend, but I promise to tell you everything."

Anna peeked toward the kitchen to make sure her mother wasn't looking. When she deemed the coast to be clear, she leaned up and stole a kiss from Elsa.

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And thanks to my BETA! Tomorrow will be Chapters 14 - 18.


	14. The River Born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**15 December 2019**

_Long ago, in the earliest days when the sun first shined upon the earth, there was only Nature. She had no form aside from what she could see - the forests, the mountains, the oceans. It was beautiful, but she was lonely. Then the first animals started to arrive, and she adored each one dearly. She found herself amongst them - flying high in the sky with a hawk, scampering along the forest floors with a salamander, swimming the rivers with an otter. But it wasn't until the first human walked amidst the wilderness did she know love._

_Nature found herself observing the humans most for they were a fascinating creature. While a snow leopard sought isolation, humans longed for community. At the sound of a cracking twig, a deer would startle and flee, but humans may investigate, their curiosity outweighing their need to seek safety. Where the other animals were easy for Nature to understand, humans, with all their intricacies and variables, continually surprised her. She found herself walking alongside them, observing them, learning from them, and all the while, falling further in love with them._

_However, as with many stories regarding humanity, the darkness began to show itself. There were many amid the earliest of humans that took Nature and her bounty for granted. They took advantage of her gifts and of her magic - used it for their own gains, stored it for their own use, claimed it as their own. Time passed, and the greed and malice of the many turned Nature sad. She found she could no longer share the human form for they had become so detached from her. Nature had no choice but to leave and seek solace in her own home._

_She did not abandon the humans, though. Nature continued to watch humanity from afar, and what she found was hope. Hope in the form of four humans. Four souls that, as she continued to assess them from her distant palace, were unlike the rest of their brethren. While more and more humans gave in to their darker tendencies, these four remained true to Nature and continued to live in service of her. Everyday she watched them, expecting that eventually they would turn their backs to her, just as the rest of their kind had. Yet everyday, they proved Nature wrong and dedicated their lives to her._

"Don't forget about the river."

"I was just getting to that," Elsa said, giving Liv an exasperated look. She cleared the table of her snowy representation of a forest and replaced it with a new landscape that Anna recognized as the Ahtohallan River flowing from the top of the North Mountain down toward the Dark Sea.

"Okay. Just making sure. Please continue," Liv said, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl.

_Nature, in all her wisdom, sent four messengers out to her beloved humans. Those four messengers were the spirits of Nature's elements - Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Through them, Nature called the last remaining hope in humanity to her. This was her final test, the final chance she would give humans. After many years of solitude within her own fortress, Nature could no longer walk among the creatures of the world. It was her hope that these four champions would be worthy enough to do so in her place… should they answer the call._

_The journey was not safe nor quick for the four humans. There were many times that Nature feared she'd made their final trials impossible for them to complete. However, much to Nature's pride and pleasure, the fortitude of the human spirit persevered, and her four champions found themselves in her presence after a long endured voyage of self discovery._

" _I fear that my time here is quickly fading," she told them. "You are the best of your kind. Through you and your descendants, I wish to remain with this world that I have learned to love so much. If you accept."_

"And, of course, they accepted! Because, I mean, who wouldn't?"

Anna giggled as Elsa sent Liv another annoyed look. "Would you like to tell the story instead?"

"I would lov-"

"Olivia, please stop interrupting. It's nearly lunchtime already," Kai reprimanded. Liv pretended to zip her lips shut and the eldest sister looked back to Elsa. "Go on, snowbug."

Elsa turned to Anna whose attentive eyes locked back on her. "Okay. Where was I? Oh right… " Elsa cleared the table once more and replaced the scene with four large stone monoliths, each stamped with one of the four diamond glyphs Anna recognized from the cover of the storybook she'd found at the library. Next to each stone, Elsa crafted a small human figure from ice.

_Nature then blessed these four individuals with her gifts. She anointed them with the waters of her sacred river and each human was granted attunement with one of the four elemental spirits. The first, Vega - known for her grace and optimism, spontaneous and swift - was granted the powers of the Wind Spirit. The next, Brann - a man with strong will and ambition, resourcefulness and passion - was gifted an affinity to the Fire Spirit. The third, Kolga - a devoted and even-tempered woman, both genuine and reliable - was attuned to the Water Spirit. And finally, Halvar - steadfast and dignified, sturdy and supportive - was given the gifts of the Earth Spirit._

_For years, these four chosen by Nature herself and their descendants after them worked in harmony to protect the wonders of the natural world. They kept the balance, and defended Nature with the gifts bestowed upon them. With each generation, their gifts grew and adapted, and the descendants became faster, stronger, and more resilient. But the complexity of humanity is difficult to overcome. As generations passed, greed, envy, and pride stood between the families. Wars raged, the earth suffered, and a rift between the River Born and Nature grew._

_But Nature always finds her balance. After the first great war between the descendants of the original four, Nature chose a fifth family; one that she could call upon when needed the most. The descendant of this family that Nature deems the worthiest, is gifted attunement with all four elements in hopes that the Fifth Spirit alone can restore balance amongst the families._

"And that's the origin of the River Born," Elsa said, clearing the table of her rendering of a battlefield, elemental users throwing powerful attacks in all directions, depicted in ice and snow. "Now I'm guessing you have questions."

"Oh, you know. Only like a thousand or two," Anna said nonchalantly. "First - I'm guessing the Arens are descendants of Kolga?"

"Yes," Kaira answered. "We, just like our father before us and every Aren back to the first, are attuned to Water and, as such, our abilities stem from the Water Spirit."

"Abilities? You mean you don't have the same powers as Elsa?" Anna asked, her eyes darting between the two elder Aren sisters.

"Oh, no," Kaira said, shaking her head. "Elsa's powers are very unique. There have only been a handful, or less, that have been gifted with the powers to control ice and snow like she can. You see, Nature can see your character, exactly who you are in your heart, and she blesses you with gifts that match you. These abilities can adapt and change because people adapt and change, but that happens rarely; usually that only occurs when a person goes through some life altering event. Though, she never bestows you with a gift that you cannot handle."

"And what are your gifts?" Anna asked tentatively. She was afraid to ask because it felt like a personal question, but both women smiled at her.

" _Telepathy and telekinesis,_ " Kaira's voice rang in her head, causing Anna to jump a little. She was then awed when Kaira made the coffee table in front of them float slightly above the floor. "Everything has water in it, even the smallest traces. My powers utilize that."

Anna nodded in understanding before her wide eyes turned to Liv, but she blinked in confusion when Liv wasn't sitting where she was a moment ago. "Where did - AH!"

Liv suddenly reappeared out of thin air exactly where she had been sitting on the couch next to Kaira. She guffawed loudly at Anna's reaction. "Sorry, Anna bear. I couldn't help it. You see, I can manipulate the water around me. Sort of like cloaking. I can't make others invisible, but I can create a fog to hide them."

"I can imagine that you were a handful for your parents with a power like that," Anna said in jest.

"Oh, this wasn't always my power," Liv answered. Kaira and Liv exchanged a knowing look with each other. Anna had the urge to ask them about it, but she got the feeling that would be intrusive. If Nature could read your heart as Kaira said, it was probably a very private sort of thing. Instead, Anna looked back to Elsa and changed the subject.

"Who are the other families?"

"Naturally, the Coronas are the descendants of Halvar, the Earth Spirit family," Elsa said.

"Raps!" Anna said, jaw dropping. Then she shook her head. "Dang… I should have guessed. She is your cousin and Auntie Ari is an Aren… Oh! What power does Raps have?"

"She said she's actually already used it around you," Elsa said and Anna looked at her in surprise. "Rapunzel is a healer. The earth gives life, and her power draws on that. You were with her when she needed to heal a fox that was injured on the Reservation."

Anna's eyes lit up as realization dawned on her - the injured fox, the glowing light. It made much more sense; she had thought there was much more blood than Rapunzel had let on that day. Anna nodded some more. She had done so much nodding this morning, but there were no words to express what she was thinking or feeling. "And what about Air and Fire?"

The atmosphere in the room got suddenly tense, and Anna was afraid she'd said the wrong thing. The three sisters looked at each other and Kaira nodded once to Elsa. Knowing the eldest sister's powers now, Anna was certain that the three sisters utilized moments like these for silent conversations.

"The Weseltons command the Air and the Westergaards control Fire," Elsa said. "They live on a small group of islands across the Southern Sea aptly called the Southern Isles. Neither family comes here, aside from the occasional exception."

Anna could almost touch the tension in the air. Though they didn't say it, Anna heard the implication. Neither family was _allowed_ to come to Arendelle. The mood, the expressions on each face looking at her, Elsa's tone - it all made her wary to voice the many questions that now popped into her head. She was nearly settled on letting her questions go when she heard Kaira's voice again.

" _Go on, Anna. You may ask. It's important for you to know everything if you and Elsa grow closer,_ " she said to Anna telepathically. Kaira's words and tenor in her head gave Anna the impression that there was a hidden implication of danger, but she tried not to think on it too much. Anna took a breath and tried to decide where to start. She picked a question she hoped was an easy answer.

"What are the exceptions?"

"Mostly it has to do with the schools," Liv said. "Sporting events, competitions… the treaty makes exceptions for that. When it was drafted, it was decided that the children shouldn't suffer because of the mistakes of their parents, but the stipulations are very prohibitive."

"A treaty?" Anna asked. The sisters shared another look before Kaira decided to take the lead.

"Like the story says - peace between the families isn't always long lived. There is wickedness that sometimes gets in the way. Greed, envy, but most of all - ambition, a need for more power," she explained. "The last conflict started over a decade ago and concluded when our parents were killed. Elsa was eight at the time."

Anna looked over at her girlfriend and she could see the suffering in her stiff posture, the distant look, the pucker between her eyebrows. It was almost like Anna could feel her own chest ache with Elsa's emotional pain. Anna reached over and took Elsa's hand, rubbing gentle circles into the back of it with her thumb as Kaira continued.

"Afterward, the heads of each family met on Ahtohallan, the very palace that was once Nature's personal solace, and we drafted the treaty that is still in effect today," Kaira said. "As Liv explained, the only true exception for a Westergaard or Weselton to step foot in Arendelle and likewise for an Aren or a Corona to go to the Southern Isles, at least aside from a peaceful parley, are children plus one supervising adult per visiting family. Rather complicated really, but there aren't many schools nearby for competitive sport and Liv was adamant that I include it when it was drafted."

"Southern Isles High is our rival. If I couldn't meet a Westergaard on the battlefield, I would settle for the softball field," Liv said with an indifferent shrug, though Anna could see the underlying tension in her shoulders. It struck Anna then how telling Liv's power just might be.

The strain in the air was beginning to put Anna at ill ease and she decided that it was probably time to end the small history lesson. Though there was one more question she wanted to voice before she did. "The fifth family, the one that restores balance should things get really bad… Do you know who that is?"

All three sisters shook their heads and Kaira explained. "This is the most guarded secret. Should any one of the families become privy to the information, it could be used for personal gain. Imagine if one family could control the Fifth Spirit? There would no longer be balance.

"There are theories of course, entries in the journals of our ancestors that one can speculate over. I'm sure each family has similar writings, but protecting that fifth family's secret is the one thing we all agree on," Kaira continued. "Each time the Fifth Spirit was called upon in the past, the River Born who were alive to see it were sworn to secrecy so that the identity of that line would die with that generation."

Silence fell between all the women as Anna digested all the information. She still had so many questions, but she couldn't put any of them into coherent sentences; there were just too many of them and too many open avenues to explore. Anna gave herself a little mental shake. She could always ask Elsa later when the questions come to her. Anna didn't plan on leaving her side any time soon.

"That was epic," Anna whispered in complete awe, unsure what else to say. Elsa giggled at that and the heaviness in the air lifted instantly.

"I guess so," Elsa responded. "I don't think about it too much. The novelty that is. It's just our lives."

"Then with that, I say we're done. Though feel free to come to any of us if you have more questions," Kaira said. "Elsa, why don't you show Anna around the house while I make lunch?"

Everyone dispersed, Elsa pulling Anna along with her as their hands were still intertwined from earlier. Anna couldn't help but gawk at the Aren Manor when she'd first arrived. From the outside, the three story home was nearly as classic looking as Rapunzel's home, only much larger, but stepping inside was like stepping into a museum of modern art. The floor plan was mostly open so upon entering, Anna could see straight from the living room they'd had their lesson in through to the dining room and kitchen beyond. Now though, Elsa led her around the floating staircase to the other wing of the first floor.

"We remodeled the house over the last several years," Elsa explained as she observed Anna's eyes scanning the design and decor. "We decided that we needed a change."

"You designed most of it," Anna said. Elsa blinked at her, surprised that this wasn't a question. "Raps said that you have a knack for architecture and design. The library is just as beautiful as this. You have a very specific style."

Elsa glanced around. She'd never noticed before, but now that she thought about it, she couldn't deny the truth behind Anna's observations. Elsa favored sharp lines and acute angles, dark accents paired with smooth white surfaces, minimalism in harmony with comfort. She led Anna around the corner to the extra large den area. This was probably the homiest room aside from each of the sisters' bedrooms. There was a very large, squashy sectional couch surrounding a fluffy area rug that covered a large portion of that room's dark grey hardwood flooring that spanned the entire bottom floor. Mounted on the wall, surrounded by shelves of movies, was an extremely large television. Anna didn't doubt there were likely surround sound speakers surreptitiously hidden throughout the room.

The back wall of the room was, like at the public library, a wall of floor to ceiling windows. Anna had noticed a similar feature at the back of the kitchen and suspected that this glass wall extended across the entire back of the house's ground floor. The expansive window overlooked the wooded area behind the house. Anna wondered how the bottom floor could remain so insulated in the cold Alaskan winter, but she figured that it was thought through since she was still warm enough to remove her parka.

"The garage takes up a lot of the first floor's space on the other side of this wall," Elsa explained, pointing to the wall opposite from the stairs, as they walked through this media room. Anna noticed quickly that there were several game consoles tucked into the shelves between the movies and that there was a collection of video games as extensive as the films. As they approached the glass wall, Anna realized that there was another walkway to the left just before they reached it. She peaked around the corner to find a decent sized library and her jaw dropped.

"Holey moley," she said. Anna let go of Elsa's hand and walked along the edges of the room, browsing through the titles that she could see at her eye line.

"Kaira is the big reader, really. I enjoy it myself, but I prefer the music room on the second floor. Liv spends a lot of her time in the garage's gym or playing video games in the family room," Elsa said as she watched Anna venture around the space. "I'm sure Kai would let you borrow anything. She'll like if her books got love from someone other than herself."

"I will definitely have to take you up on that," Anna whispered.

Elsa laughed. "Anna, it's a home library. You don't have to whisper."

"Respect the books, Elsa," Anna said playfully, to which Elsa giggled again.

"Come on. There's still a lot to see."

The second floor of the Aren Manor contained a study for each sister, several guest bedrooms, and the music room that Elsa had mentioned earlier. The room, Elsa explained, was designed to be soundproofed to the rest of the house and contained several instruments, all of which Elsa played ( _that's not surprising though,_ Anna thought), the most notable of the instruments was the baby grand piano in the center of the room. Along one wall was more shelving like in the media room and the library, but these shelves were full of vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs. A record player and sound system sat in the corner of the room furthest from the door.

"Are these all yours?" Anna asked as she ran a hand along a shelf of vinyls.

"Mostly," Elsa said. "Almost all the vinyls are mine, while most of the cassettes are Kai's and the CDs are Liv's."

"Very hipster of you," Anna teased.

"Oh hush," Elsa said, nudging her with her shoulder. "Let's go. I'll show you my room if you'd like. Kai said lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes."

"What? How did -" Anna started asking, but stopped when Elsa tapped a finger on her own temple. "Oh. Right. I should get used to that."

Elsa's room was exactly what Anna expected. The color scheme of dark greys and deep navy paired with stark white followed into the room. Elsa had a queen-sized bed pushed up to the center of the longest wall, upon which Olaf was happily lazing about. Her music collection continued into this room, with a second, smaller vinyl player sitting on a square table in the corner. She had a large, soft-looking bean bag type chair situated next to the record player and a cream colored area rug covered the floor between the bed and the small seating area. There were small touches here and there that hinted at Elsa's personality - snowflakes painted on the door, architecture books piled on a bedside table, family photographs scattered throughout the space.

"You're such a pig, Els. I would have never guessed," Anna joked. The room, like Elsa's car and locker, was impeccably clean. Everything was tidy, orderly, and methodically sorted. Anna was sure if she pushed anything aside a quarter inch, Elsa would notice. Anna wouldn't call herself a slob. Her room was clean but messy - a chaotic sort of organization, much like the girl herself.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Your wit astounds."

"Gotta keep you on your toes," Anna replied with a wink. She looked at the various photos Elsa had in her room. Most of them were Elsa with her sisters at various ages, and some were Elsa and Rapunzel together. The one that caught Anna's attention was the small, framed photo that was on the bedside table. Anna picked it up carefully, studying the face of the young man and woman cradling a baby girl with a platinum tuft of hair on her head. "Your mother was beautiful."

Elsa closed the gap between them in a couple of slow steps and looked at the picture over Anna's shoulder. "Very much, yes. Mama and Papa were prom king and queen when they were in high school. The perfect couple in many ways."

"Was she River Born also?" Anna asked.

"No, she was mortal," Elsa said. There was a flash of emotion behind her eyes. It was gone so quickly Anna almost missed it, but she could make a guess at what it meant.

"Like me," Anna said. Elsa met her eyes and Anna could feel the anxiety rolling off of her like waves on the shore. "You're worried for me. Is that why you pushed me away for so long?"

"How do you do that?" Elsa asked very quietly, almost whispering her thoughts. Her eyebrows pulled together closely. "Guess what I'm, thinking, what I'm feeling. Like you can see right through me."

"I've always been good at reading people," Anna said with a shrug. "And you're an open book once I found what to look for."

"And what's that, might I ask?" Elsa said, that crooked little smirk coming out as she pulled Anna in close to her, but Anna didn't give in to Elsa's attempt to lighten the atmosphere her sudden shift of mood had created. Instead, she answered honestly.

"You show everything here," Anna said, reaching up and smoothing the crease out from between Elsa's brows before Anna looking deeply into the blonde's eyes, "and here." Elsa's smile faded and Anna traced a finger along the straight line of it, "and finally here."

"Ahem."

Anna started and turned toward the door. She had barely caught a glimpse of Liv leaning against the door jam before a wall of ice was erected over the threshold. Anna stared at the ice covering the doorway for a moment before she snorted. Elsa looked at her with wide eyes.

"Did you just…?" Anna trailed off as she was overcome with giggles. Then there was banging on the ice wall and Liv's muffled voice could be heard through the thick frost.

"Really, Els? You startle like a newborn baby deer!"

Anna started laughing uncontrollably. Elsa stared at her incredulously as Anna bent over at the waist, holding a stitch in her side. Soon enough though, Elsa slowly surrendered to Anna's contagious mirth until she was laughing just as hard. A loud cracking sound broke up their laughter and a moment later, the wall of ice broke in the center and came crumbling to the floor. Elsa composed herself enough to clear all the conjured ice from the room.

"The door stays open, my two little turtle dove loves," Liv said very seriously and both teens sobered up quickly. Liv stared them down momentarily before a mischievous smirk played at her lips and she gave them both a wink. "Get downstairs, you two. Kai says lunch is ready."

* * *

After lunch, the older sisters slipped away quietly to give the two teens some space. Elsa and Anna were lounging in the den, sprawled out on the large sofa. Anna had chosen a book from Kaira's collection and had her head resting in Elsa's lap as the blonde played a game on a Nintendo Switch. Elsa heard Anna let out a small, contented sigh as she turned the page in her book. She paused her game and looked down at her girlfriend. Elsa was amazed at how easy their time together was now that she wasn't fighting it so much. There was a comfort in Anna's presence that Elsa revelled in.

 _How did I waste two months staying away from this wonderful girl?_ Elsa chastised herself internally. She watched Anna reading for several minutes, observing how her eyes darted smoothly across the pages, the small twitch at the corners of her mouth when she read something amusing, the natural glow to her skin, the contrasting freckles over her nose and along her cheekbones. Elsa's chest swelled with adoration and she thanked Nature for calling her to Anna. Sensing eyes on her, Anna looked up and met Elsa's gaze with a smile.

"Hey, you," Anna said.

"Hi," Elsa responded quietly. Then Anna's favorite smirk graced Elsa's face. "Do you know what this moment needs?"

"If you say chocolate I just might let you keep me forever."

"Stay right here," Elsa said with a wide, bright smile that showed all her perfect teeth. Anna sat up and Elsa gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before she darted off. Anna had only just opened the book back up on her lap when Elsa sat down next to her again, a small golden box resting on her lap.

"That was very quick," Anna said, astonished.

"I told you - we're stronger and faster than mortals. Liv more so than the rest of us, but I'm quick when I want to be," Elsa said as she opened up the box and held it out for Anna to choose a chocolate first.

"Oh muh gah," Anna sighed out as she took a bite of the chocolate morsel she'd picked out. "This is amazing."

"They just came in this morning," Elsa said after she swallowed her piece. "If there's one vice that my sisters and I share, it's that we're all gluttons for chocolate. It takes immense self control daily to not spend all my inheritance on it."

Anna chuckled at that as she grabbed another piece. "Well then you definitely have more self control than I do."

They settled back into their previous quiet state as Anna opened up the book again. Eventually all the chocolate was gone and Elsa disposed of the box before lying down with her head in Anna's lap and resuming her video game. The ginger balanced the book on her available knee with one hand as she absently played with Elsa's hair with the other as she read. The two girls stayed this way for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. Anna had become so completely engrossed in her book that she was surprised when a white fluffy mass obstructed the page. A pair of onyx colored eyes stared up at her from the mass of fur and Anna giggled very quietly. Without pausing her ministration upon Elsa's head, Anna raised her other and scratched Marshmallow behind the ear.

"What? Are you jealous, Marsh?" Elsa chuckled when his eyes shifted to her momentarily at the sound of her voice before fixing his stare back on Anna. He didn't remove his head from the book that was now his pillow as he sat his back half on the floor.

 _I guess I'll finish this book later,_ Anna sighed, resolved to her current situation and continued to run her hands through both heads of hair.

"Oh no she didn't!" Anna heard Liv's voice coming from the direction of the kitchen. Instantly, Elsa sat up and startled both Anna and Marshmallow, causing Anna's book to fall to the floor.

"We must go," Elsa whispered.

"What?" Anna asked in confusion, but Elsa didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed Anna's hand and quietly tried to sneak them toward the sliding glass door leading to the backyard.

"Elsa Mackinley Aren! I have a bone to pick with you!" Liv called from across the house just as the two girls slipped outside and Elsa picked up their pace.

"I swear! I haven't touched your stash of chocolate!" Elsa shouted behind her as she ran toward the tree line, clearing an easy path through the snow while dragging Anna by the hand along with her.

"Wait," Anna panted, trying to keep up. "That was _Liv's_ chocolate?"

"Aha!" Liv shouted as she stepped out from behind a tree. The teens skidded to a halt. Anna looked back at the house over her shoulder, shocked by Liv's sudden appearance despite everything she'd learned this morning about their abilities. Liv offered them a roguish smile and adopted a fake English accent. "Betrayed by your own love. I've waited quite a long time for that specially ordered Belgian chocolate to arrive, dear baby sister. Now you must suffer the consequences of thievery and deception."

"You have no power here, beasty," Elsa said, affecting the same intonation. She grinned and maneuvered Anna to stand behind her. She held her hands in front of her, ready to strike her sister with snow and ice at the first sign of movement. "I've learned all your tricks and know all your moves."

"I have no idea what's going on right now," Anna said quietly and mostly to herself, unsure if she should be worried or amused.

"Oh, sweet little Ice Princess," Liv teased, her evil smirk growing to show her canines. "What you've seemed to have forgotten is that _you..._ have a new weakness."

Liv disappeared in an instant. Elsa's eyes quickly scanned the tree line for signs of movement, and strained her ears for the slightest rustle of leaves or snap of a twig. Then she heard it - a sinister laugh coming from behind her. She looked back at the house to see Liv atop the garage holding Anna in front of her with one arm as she waved at Elsa with her other. Elsa quickly looked next to her where Anna had been only moments ago to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

"It appears you have misplaced your plaything, m'lady," Liv called from her perch before whispering to Anna in her normal accent. "No offense, sweetie."

"Uh… none taken?" Anna said as she tried not to look down. She wasn't the biggest fan of heights. "Just please don't drop me."

"Of course not," she whispered again.

"You wicked fiend!" Elsa shouted and pointed an accusing finger at her older sister, the playful British accent still coating her voice. Watching Elsa act like a kid with her sister eased the tension Anna was feeling from standing high on a roof and she let out a little giggle. Elsa met her eyes with a smirk and a wink before putting on her fierce mask once more. "Release my beloved, lest you suffer my wrath!"

"You would dare strike at me whilst I hold what you treasure most dear so close?"

It was Elsa's turn to grin mischievously at her sister. "What _you've_ seemed to have forgotten, foul beast, is that I always have a special weapon on my side."

"And what, pray tell, might that be?"

Anna's heart skipped a beat as she was suddenly lifted by an invisible force. She watched as Liv slipped on ice that had appeared below her feet and fell twenty feet to the ground below, landing in a fresh pile of conjured snow. Anna gently floated back down to earth beside where Liv lay prone buried in the fluffy ice. The next thing she knew, Elsa was planting a chaste kiss on her lips, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Dear maiden, I have come to rescue you," Elsa said, still using her spot on English accent. Anna's cheeks colored as Elsa continued to hold her close.

"Not fair," Liv groaned from underneath the snow, all playfulness lost from her tone and accent.

"All is fair in love and war," Kaira said from behind Anna, causing the red head to turn around to face her. "Do not use Anna as a prop again, Olivia."

"Ugh… yes, mom," Liv said sarcastically, the snow shifting around her as she began to get up.

Kaira turned her attention to Anna. "Are you alright, Anna?"

"Yes, thank you," Anna said, still blushing furiously from what had just transpired. She suppressed a shiver, the cold was starting to seep in through her hooded sweater.

"And you," Kaira said sternly, turning her eyes to Elsa whose own went wide. "How many times have I told you to be mindful of your toys? We wouldn't want to break this one."

A blush spread across Elsa's freckled nose.

"No offense, Anna," Kaira added.

"Uh… none taken?"

Liv laughed as she extracted herself from the deep snow drift she'd landed in. She ruffled Anna's hair and kissed the top of her head. "You're adorable. I think I'll keep you."

Elsa suddenly pulled Anna back to her side protectively. Liv barked with laughter while the eldest Arendelle sister tried to hide her smile behind her hand.

"You never did like to share, Els. Then again the youngest siblings never really do," Liv said as she walked back into the house, Kaira following closely behind her. Liv's howling laughter could still be heard even after the door slid closed.

"And to think I'd thought life in a small Alaskan town was going to be boring." Anna said in a breathless whisper, shaking her head. Elsa smiled at her and leaned down to give her another light kiss just as Anna shivered.

"Let's get you out of the cold," Elsa said and led her back inside.


	15. The Rivalry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**10 January 2020**

_You'd think I'd get used to this by now,_ Anna thought bitterly as she and Elsa passed a group of wide eyed freshman boys on their way to the chemistry lab.

The school had become instantly aware of Elsa and Anna's relationship the day following the lesson regarding Elsa's family history. Elsa had picked up Anna for school, which by then was already a normal occurrence, but when they got out of the car, the girls held hands instinctively instead of keeping the normal distance from each other. Whispers followed everywhere they went that whole week leading up to the Winter break, mostly those of surprise that the new girl had seemed to thaw out the Ice Queen's frozen demeanor. It had been a relief to be free of the school for the holiday break after that. Without the school setting, Elsa and Anna could avoid most of the other kids on the island as much as possible. That first Saturday had been Elsa's birthday. Anna had been frustrated because she learned about it from Raps only a few days before, but Anna still had time to surprise her with a gift and small outing.

" _Anna, what are we doing here?" Elsa asked as they trekked a familiar path through the park._

" _Actually," Anna panted as she readjusted the large backpack she was carrying. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet."_

" _Do you want me to take that?"_

" _No, silly. You're the birthday girl. You don't lift a finger," Anna said between breaths. "We're nearly there anyway." They rounded the bend, and the clearing that Rapunzel had first brought Anna to came into view. Anna's jaw dropped as she took in the winter wonderland. The river basin clearing was beautiful during the fall, but it was breathtaking in the winter. Anna set the pack on the ground and peeked sideways at Elsa._

Yeah, this was the right choice, _she thought to herself. Elsa had a blissful smile on her face, obvious contentment washing over her as she looked around the clearing. Anna opened up the bag and started pulling out the equipment._

" _Ice skating?" Elsa said in pleasant surprise as she finally looked away from the picturesque scenery to observe what Anna was doing. The ginger had pulled out Elsa's skates (which Kaira had helped her sneak from the garage) and a new pair of her own._

" _Yep! You're going to have to teach me though," Anna said, worry clear in her tone and eyes. "I've never skated before, and I'm clumsy enough on solid ground."_

_Elsa grinned as she pulled on her blades. "Don't worry. I won't let you fall."_

They spent much of the remainder of Winter break hanging out with Rapunzel and Eugene, and Anna did spend some time with Kristoff and the Nova twins as well, though Elsa didn't join her for that ( _I don't think Kristoff would appreciate my presence,_ Elsa had said). Otherwise, the two girls spent a lot of time at either one of their houses or Oaken's, simply enjoying the company and getting to know each other better. Over the two week hiatus from school, their relationship bloomed steadily and an easy comfort fell between them.

It was easy to forget about the other kids on the island over their break, but this first week back at school had been a harsh reawakening. It seemed that one week of the relationship status followed by two weeks away was not enough to satiate the student body's curiosity with the newest couple at Arendelle High.

"Mouthbreathers," Anna muttered as they entered their classroom.

"The novelty will pass eventually," Elsa said, giving Anna a grin. "The school will probably be well distracted after tonight and we can fade back into obscurity."

Anna perked up at that. Tonight was the biggest hockey game of the season, and Anna had quickly learned that this was a big deal. Their rival, Southern Isles High School, was always the most anticipated regular season game of the year, and the entire town showed up to watch. Anna had spent the better part of Tuesday's lunch convincing Elsa to go with her. She argued that, one - since Eugene was the captain, two - Raps was a cheerleader ( _cheerleaders for hockey? Who would have thought?)_ , and three - it would be Anna's first ever hockey game, Elsa was obligated as the girlfriend to accompany her. The blonde rolled her eyes and eventually relented, but Anna had caught the small smirk on Elsa's face from the corner of her eye.

"I'm so excited! I was never really one for attending school sporting events back in Monterey," Anna said as they sat down at their lab bench and waited for class to start.

"I haven't gone to one since Liv graduated high school," Elsa said. "And even then, I only went when she was playing."

"Raps said that the games against Southern Isles can get intense," Anna responded. "She's worried that Flynn will get into a fight."

"Liv always says that it's not a real hockey game until a fight breaks out." Elsa shrugged when Anna looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm sure everything will be fine though." Their teacher called the class to order then and passed around the handouts for today's experiment regarding Le Chatelier's Principle. Elsa looked over the materials before she smirked at Anna.

"Can I trust you to light the Bunsen burner today?"

Anna rolled her eyes and she pulled open the lab bench drawer, taking out the Bunsen burner and flint striker. "Ha ha. Just go get the proper glassware, ya stinker."

Elsa chuckled, but did as she was told. When she came back, she was glad to see that Anna already had the heating apparatus set up, the flame of the Bunsen burner at a controlled level. Anna caught the look on Elsa's face and gave her a wink. They quickly got to work. Elsa had to admit that they had been working together seamlessly since she'd decided to stop pushing Anna away.

"Nice job, girls," Mr. Mason said as he passed their lab bench. He had noticed the change in their partnership too, but not in the same way as the student body. Elsa and Anna, like they had been for weeks, were clearly several steps ahead of all the other pairs of students, and Anna hadn't set anything aflame during that same time-frame. He wasn't going to question the good change of fortune. Mr. Mason walked away soon after his comment, confident now that Elsa and Anna no longer needed his continuous supervision like they had in the beginning when they weren't working so harmoniously.

"I wanted to ask you something. A favor of sorts," Elsa said once their solution was gently heating. Anna looked at her curiously. Elsa's tone was suspiciously flippant, but her eyes seemed to tighten with tension. "Stick closely to me tonight, please?"

"I wasn't planning on ditching you at the rink, Elsa," Anna said jokingly.

"That's not what I meant," Elsa said, her tone now matching the serious look on her face. Elsa sighed and looked around the room. Confident that the rest of the class was too preoccupied with their experiments to eavesdrop, she looked back at Anna. "There's going to be quite a few Westergaards and Weseltons in attendance tonight. It would make me… less anxious if you didn't stray too far from my side."

Anna frowned slightly. Something in the way her girlfriend asked her for this unsettled her. There had been little things over the last few weeks that piqued Anna's observant eyes - a distant look in Elsa's eyes after a moment of fun, the tightness with which she hugged Anna when they would part for the day. They spoke of a turmoil that churned in Anna's gut as if it were her own. Every time she tried to broach the subject though, Elsa would deflect. Anna considered asking her now, but the sincerity in Elsa's expression made Anna second guess herself. Anna could feel that, for whatever reason, Elsa truly needed this from her.

"If it'll make you feel better, I won't wander around without you," Anna said with a reassuring smile. The relief on Elsa's face was instantaneous. The tension faded from her shoulders and the small crease between her eyebrows smoothed out. She gave Anna a smile and they gazed at each other for a moment too long.

"Elsa, Anna! Your solution is going to boil over," Mr. Mason called from across the room. Both girls startled and, without really thinking, Anna reached out and pulled the beaker off from over the Bunsen burner and quickly set it on the table top.

"Anna! Why would you do that?" Elsa chastised, grabbing Anna's hand and looking it over, prepared to cool the burn. _I'll have to quickly catch Raps after class to heal this._ "That was extremely careless."

"I'm fine. I didn't hold it long enough to even feel it. It wasn't very hot anyway," Anna said before she smiled. "And I saved our experiment!"

Elsa looked at the palmar side of Anna's hand and frowned. There was no tell tale redness or puffy skin; Anna's hand looked, as she said, fine.

"Told you I'm fine," Anna said, gently pulling her hand back as she continued to smile at Elsa. "Trust me, if I'm hurt, you'll know it. I'm a big baby."

Elsa laughed at that because she'd seen first hand how true it was on Christmas when they exchanged gifts and Anna had gotten a papercut from the wrapping paper. "Okay, but from now on, let's use the beaker tongs."

* * *

"The game doesn't start for another forty minutes. Why is everyone here so early?" Anna whined as they stood in an inordinately long concession stand line. She and Elsa had gotten there early because Rapunzel had needed a ride to the rink and wanted time to change into her cheerleading uniform before the game. Anna had been surprised to find that the parking lot was nearly half full already when they'd arrived.

"I said this game is a big deal, Anna bear," Raps said as she returned from the locker room, skipping over and waving a pom pom in Anna's face. "If you don't get here early, you won't get a good seat. I already saw Liv in there. She's saving a place for you two. Oh, and she asked to send you in to see her, Els."

"Why can't she come here?"

"She doesn't want to lose her spot."

Elsa glanced around apprehensively, but nodded. "Stay with Anna. I'll be right back."

Anna watched Elsa walk away quickly, wondering how much restraint it was taking her to not run at her fastest pace. "She's anxious tonight."

"Elsa is always like this when anyone from the other two families come here, but she has her reasons," Raps said, not meeting Anna's eyes.

"You're not going to tell me these reasons, are you?"

Raps shook her head and eventually looked her in the eyes. "That's for Elsa to share with you when she's ready." Anna nodded. She knew that Rapunzel was right, and Anna preferred it that way anyway. She wanted Elsa to share with her, but Anna didn't want to push it just yet.

A cold breeze wafted through the lobby and Anna instinctively looked toward the door. A group of large, intimidating boys walked in wearing deep burgundy varsity jackets with black leather sleeves, the image of a rearing stallion embroidered on the back. Anna felt Rapunzel stiffen next to her, but she didn't take her eyes off the boys as they made their way to the visitor's locker room. They were rowdy and exuded a confidence that made Anna worried about Eugene's odds tonight. One of the boys noticed Anna watching them and he turned toward her, a smug smile on his face.

"Like what you see, red?" the boy said, his voice dripping with an arrogance that made Anna's skin crawl with irritation. He was, admittedly, handsome with a strong jaw and green eyes, and his auburn hair was clean cut aside from a pair of long sideburns. Before Anna could respond, Rapunzel stepped in front of her.

"Keep walking, Westergaard."

"Ah, Rapunzel. Protective much?" the boy sneered, but didn't look away from Anna. His eyes seemed to be deciphering her, like she was a puzzle he couldn't quite crack. His eyebrows grew closer and closer together in concentration as he assessed her. "I didn't think she'd be your type. What happened to that boyfriend of yours?"

"He'll meet you on the ice. You better be prepared, Hans," Rapunzel spat. "He hasn't forgotten the last game."

"That kid doesn't scare me," Hans said, eyes still lingering on Anna, and she slowly grew uncomfortable under his gaze. He addressed her again. "What's your name?"

"Anna?" Elsa's voice came from behind her and Anna tore her eyes away from the boy. Elsa's expression quickly grew menacing when she took notice of Hans, and she stalked over to stand next to Rapunzel, the two cousins forming an intimidating wall between Anna and the Westergaard boy. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Hans?"

The boy reluctantly turned his attention to the two blondes and glared before comprehension seemed to dawn in his eyes. He looked between Elsa and Anna several times before a sinister smirk alighted upon his face. "I see. She belongs to the Ice Queen, not the nurse."

"I don't _belong_ to anyone," Anna said suddenly, finding her voice. "And your sideburns are ridiculous."

"Westergaard! Get in here! NOW," the coach from the visiting team shouted from the doorway on the far side of the room just as Hans was about to retort. He gave the three girls another glare, his eyes lingering for a longer moment on Anna like he was trying to read something in her face once more, before he stalked away.

"Are all the Westergaards so antagonistic?" Anna asked once he was gone.

"Yes," the two cousins said in unison, anger and frustration still clear in their tones. The line moved then, and the three girls moved silently along with it. After a few tense seconds, Rapunzel let out a soft snort of laughter and the other two looked at her, perplexed by the cheerleader's sudden change in demeanor.

"Your sideburns are ridiculous?" Rapunzel laughed.

"Well they are," Anna said, laughing along with her best friend. "Like he's compensating for not being able to grow a real beard. Someone had to tell him. It's like a mercy kill."

Rapunzel and Elsa both fell into a fit of giggles. The laughter carried on until they'd finally reached the concession counter and Elsa composed herself enough to order. After confirming with Rapunzel that she only wanted a hotdog and soda and that Anna would share her drink, Elsa turned to the worker taking orders.

"Five hotdogs, three cokes, and two large popcorns, please," Elsa told the pockmarked boy behind the counter. His face was beet red and he fumbled with the cash register when Elsa handed over the money. Anna guessed that he wasn't prepared for three cute girls to all come to the counter at once.

"That looks like way too much food, Elsa," Anna said, eyeing the two buckets of popcorn one of the employees behind the counter placed in front of them.

"Actually," Elsa said, also eyeing the food but with far more skepticism. "I think I might have ordered too little. Liv will probably finish her two hotdogs and her bucket of popcorn before the second period is even over. She'll probably steal whatever we don't finish and then come back for a refill."

"How is that possible?" Anna asked incredulously as they carried their stuff toward the stands, waving goodbye to Rapunzel as she made her way down to the rink side where the other cheerleaders were gathering.

"I've told you before that Liv is faster and stronger than all of us. She naturally burns a lot of calories doing the smallest things," Elsa said, balancing a tub of popcorn on top of the tray of sodas. When they reached Liv, wearing the Arendelle High baseball cap she had on when Anna first met her, the older sister grabbed the popcorn from Elsa and immediately shoved a handful in her mouth.

"Thank goodness. I'm famished," Liv said with a full mouth. Anna settled down next to her girlfriend with Liv on Elsa's left side. Anna had just opened up her hotdog and took one bite when she noticed Liv crumple up the foil from her first hotdog and open up her second. Anna looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah," Elsa said, peeking sideways at Anna with a smirk. "She's a monster."

* * *

The Southern Isles Varsity Hockey Team came with a sizable entourage. The rink was packed with them, nearly the entire Arendelle High student body, and a large portion of the town's population. The atmosphere was electric and so noisy, Anna sometimes had trouble hearing Elsa despite sitting right next to her. Anna didn't understand what was happening on the ice most of the time, but the roaring of the crowd and the excitement in the air was so charged that it was difficult not to get into it.

"GO FLYNN!" Anna shouted (only Rapunzel was allowed to call him Eugene in public, his girlfriend refused to call him by his made up pseudonym) and she jumped up as he sped across the rink with the puck. He quickly pulled his stick back and slapped the small black disc toward the opposing goal, but it was stopped expertly by the goalie wearing black and red. Anna groaned with the rest of the Arendelle fans and sat back down.

"You're really getting into it," Elsa said, smiling at her.

"How could I not? This is so exciting, but also massively nerve wracking," Anna said, glancing at the scoreboard. They were already halfway through the sudden death overtime period, the score still tied at 1-1. Tensions were running high and the stress from the crowd was making Anna anxious. Then Elsa placed a hand on Anna's and she calmed down slightly, as if Elsa's cool temper could blanket her own nerves.

"We'll win," Liv said confidently. She nodded her head toward Eugene. "Flynn is determined tonight. He's never played better before."

Right at that moment, Eugene broke away from a quick scuffle with Hans over the puck and headed straight for the goal. Eugene spun around a defender, a blur of purple and green, focused on his singular task. Once again, it was just him versus the goalie as Hans ran into the teammate Eugene had dodged just a second before. The captain of the Arendelle team reeled back and smacked the puck with all his strength. The visiting goalie flicked his glove up a fraction of a second too late and the thunk of the puck as it hit the back of the net was the last sound that was heard before the rink exploded in raucous cheering from the crowd.

Liv and Anna were jumping in excitement, the older of the two giving high-fives to all the people around them and yelling as loudly as she could when the revelry was broken with a sudden spike of hostility.

"Uh oh," Elsa said, looking out over the ice.

When Anna turned back out to the rink, she saw that Eugene and Hans had removed their helmets and were exchanging words. The look on both of their faces was of pure, unbridled hatred. Then Hans said something that made Eugene's face flush brightly red. Before any of the other players could get to them, Eugene threw his gloves down and pounced on Hans. It was instant pandemonium after that. The players on the benches hopped over the barriers and everyone converged on center ice where the two team captains were brawling. Anna winced as Hans' fist connected squarely with Eugene's face with a loud crack before they were pulled apart by the referees.

"Rapunzel, meet us at City Hall. I'll bring Eugene," Liv murmured. Anna could barely hear it even standing next to her, but when Anna looked over at the cheerleaders down by the rink side, she saw Raps nod like she'd heard Liv's command perfectly. "Elsa, take Anna with you. Let Kai know what happened so she can smooth things over."

"Be careful," Elsa whispered and she grabbed Anna's hand and started leading her quickly through the crowd. Anna glanced over her shoulder and saw that Liv was already halfway down to the home team's bench, calling out to Eugene.

"What's going on?" Anna asked. The joyous situation had spiraled quickly with an intensity that she couldn't attribute to just the fight and it worried her.

"When we're in Kai's office," Elsa said. They'd made it outside by now and Elsa had picked up the pace, eyes darting quickly around the parking lot as they made their way to the car. She quickly opened up the passenger door and indicated for Anna to get in. They soon headed off in the direction of the town's center.

"What about Raps?"

"She's probably already there," Elsa said.

And she was. Elsa and Anna entered Kaira's office not ten minutes later, and Rapunzel was there already telling the eldest of the Aren sisters what had gone down at the end of the hockey game. When Kaira saw that it was them, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Liv should be here with Eugene soon," Elsa said stiffly before she started pacing along the edge of the room, staring out the large window overlooking the Town Square. Kaira walked over to her youngest sister and took her by the shoulders.

"It's going to be fine. While Eugene is under Uncle Fred's protection, he's technically not bound by the treaty," Kaira explained. "The Westergaards will understand this."

"I knew something was going to happen. I could feel Hans plotting something after speaking with him before the game," Elsa said through gritted teeth. Her eyes darted to Anna so quickly that Anna almost missed it. There was a quiet moment between the two sisters, the tension building until Kaira sighed.

"I'll work it out, snowbug. Don't worry so much until there's something tangible to worry about."

The door opened once more and Liv walked in supporting Eugene, his arm draped around her shoulders, still wearing all his hockey gear except for his skates. Rapunzel was immediately at his side, helping Liv settle him down on the small couch in the corner of the office.

"They want to speak to all of us, Kai. I've already called Uncle Fred and Auntie Ari. They'll meet us at the rink with Luke," Liv said. "We got lucky that they sent Rorik to chaperone today. He's by far the most reasonable of the Westergaard brothers."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper," Eugene said, wincing as Rapunzel helped him out of his hockey pads.

"We talked about this," Rapunzel said reproachfully. "I told you that whatever you do, do not fight with any of the Westergaards or Weseltons... but Hans! Of all of them, you fought with Hans."

"If you'd heard what he said about you -"

"I did hear it, but they're just words, Eugene," Rapunzel said, her voice rising in anger. "He said what he thought would get a rise out of you and it worked. Now you've got the broken ribs to show for it." A quick glance at his now bare torso confirmed it; the large purplish bruise was already blooming on the right side of his rib cage.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I broke his perfect nose so it's all wor- OOOWWW!" Rapunzel cut off her boyfriend's gloating with a quick poke to his bruise; though his agony was quickly ended when Raps put both her hands gently on his broken ribs. A warm, yellow glow emanated from beneath her hands and Eugene closed his eyes, sighing in relief. When she pulled back, the darkening bruise was completely gone. Rapunzel then moved to put her hand to his swelling eye when Eugene grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Everyone saw that punch. It'll be suspicious if I don't have a black eye," Eugene said quietly. Rapunzel frowned and was going to argue, but he shook his head then gave her a sly smile. "I can live with a black eye. It'll be good for my ego anyway to not be the most handsome boy at school for a week."

"You'll still be the most handsome boy at school," Rapunzel said and gave him a quick kiss.

"No wonder he has such a big head," Elsa muttered and all the other girls in the room laughed.

"Now, you two," Kaira said, interrupting the moment. She looked between Anna and Eugene. "Do not leave this room until one of us comes for you. Do you understand?"

"What? Why?" Anna asked, but Eugene didn't question it.

"Just a precaution, sweetie," Kaira said. "Elsa told me Hans came to the conclusion that you're important to her and, therefore, to our family. So until they leave, I would appreciate it if you stayed here where I know you're safe."

Anna looked around the room, but everyone's expression told her that this was the truth. Even Eugene was silently urging her with his eyes so she nodded. Elsa stepped up to her then gave her a quick kiss and grateful smile before the other four left, locking the door behind them. Resigning herself to being stuck in this room for an extended period of time, Anna turned one of the chairs in front of Kaira's desk around to face the couch where Eugene was sitting.

"Is it always like this when the other two families visit?"

"Emotions always run high when they're here, but it's never gone this far," Eugene frowned and ran a hand through his sweaty, yet still perfectly quaffed hair. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let Hans provoke me. I just hate his smug face so much."

"I'm surprised you didn't fight him sooner," Anna said. "He was coming at you the entire game."

"I'm the only player on the team that he'd benefit from fighting with," Eugene confirmed. Anna tilted her head in confusion and he clarified. "Rapunzel's parents have placed me under their protection. She asked them to because I play varsity sports and she worried for me. By proxy, I'm protected by the current treaty and so I _should_ also abide by it even if I'm not technically bound to it. By landing the first punch, I kind of breached their contract."

"And what comes of that? Will Raps' family have to pay reparations or something?"

Eugene fixed her with a serious look. "The Westergaards will have cause to restart the war."

"Oh." She was not expecting that answer. It seemed an overreaction to wage full on war over a scuffle between two high school boys. Now though, Anna could see the meaning behind some of the small inconsistencies in Elsa's behaviors - holding Anna closely while subtly giving her the option to pull away, speaking words of adoration in a way that sometimes sounded like a goodbye. Elsa had once told her that she was worried about Anna's safety. Everything was starting to seem clearer now.

"I wish I wasn't mortal sometimes so I could protect her better, fight for her like I want to," Eugene said, a forlorn grimace on his face. "She worries about me because I'm squishy, vulnerable. I worry about her because of her name."

"Have you always known? About them, I mean," Anna said.

"No. I didn't find out until I died," Eugene said. Anna's jaw dropped, eyes as wide as possible. Eugene chuckled at the expression. He didn't get to tell this story often. At least, not to someone new. "It's actually quite a riveting tale; the story of how I died. There's a little danger and a little foolishness, but mostly… it's a love story."

Anna rolled her eyes and he chuckled lightly, obviously enjoying himself. "Get on with it, Fitzherbert."

"Okay, okay. It's actually the oldest story there is - boy likes girl, boy wraps car around tree trying to impress girl, girl uses magic healing hands to save boy's life. It's also the reason that Raps refuses to drive," he said. Eugene got an over exaggerated, distant look on his face. "It was eighteen months ago. Sophomore year had just ended and I finally passed my driver's test. The first thing I did was drive over to the park to look for Rapunzel and ask her out on a date. I was driving a white Mustang convertible that I called Maximus, which in hindsight was a very impractical car for Arendelle. I drove up to the Ranger station and revved the engine like a huge jerk.

"When she came outside, she was so mad, but I could hardly register the fact," Eugene continued, his eyes truly softened as the memories came back to him. "Angry, frustrated, happy, content… it doesn't matter what Rapunzel's mood is, she's always beautiful to me and, I'm sad to admit, that's all I saw at the time. 'Your chariot awaits, my lady,' I had said, oblivious to her anger. She sent me away, of course; said she was busy preparing for the scouts to arrive and she was stressed because she'd forgotten to pick up graham crackers for the s'mores."

'I'm guessing you offered to go to the store?" Anna asked. Eugene smiled and tapped a finger on his nose in confirmation.

"I said, 'your knight in varsity leather is here to save the day,' and jumped back into my car, hopping over the closed driver's door, and sped off without buckling in," Eugene said with a frown, shaking his head at his own carelessness. "I didn't make it very far. At the end of the long road out of the reservation, the back tires of my car hit the dirt wrong and I began to spin out. I slammed on the brakes and tried to correct the trajectory of the car, something I now understand were the wrong choices to make.

"I don't even remember hitting the tree. I certainly don't remember being thrown from my car. All I remember was Rapunzel's face hovering over me, bathed in the sunlight behind her. She was crying, but it was still the most beautiful face I'd ever seen." Eugene paused his story and ran another hand through his hair. Anna waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts, completely riveted by the tale. "I don't know how, but I knew I was dying. I felt weak and everything was slow. Rapunzel was saying something, begging me for something, but I couldn't understand her. I just looked into her eyes and knew - I had to tell her now before I go. It was my only chance to finally tell her that I love her, and with one last breath, I did."

"But she saved you," Anna said, smiling softly and Eugene met her eyes, returning the smile with one of his own.

"She did. The next thing I felt was warmth. I saw a gentle, glowing light and everything was bathed in warmth. When I opened my eyes, she was still crying, but now she was also smiling and -"

"And I said, 'I love you too.'" Anna and Eugene turned to the door to find that Rapunzel and Elsa had returned. Raps smiled and walked over to her boyfriend, planting a sweet kiss on his lips. She took his hand and coaxed him off the couch, handing him his hockey jersey to put back on. Once he slipped it back over his head, she frowned at his swollen eye but didn't comment on it; instead turning to Anna. "I hope he didn't bore you too much with his storytelling, Anna bear."

"Quite the opposite, actually," Anna said.

"So… did I inadvertently start a war?" Eugene asked quietly, the anxiety he tried hiding earlier now very clear in his eyes and posture.

"No. Liv was right. We got lucky with which brother accompanied Hans and his nephews today. And Mira had come with all the Weselton kids. She's always been non-confrontational," Rapunzel said, but Anna caught the quick glance she gave Elsa. The platinum blonde was standing just inside the door, her posture was stiff and the unease was clear in her eyes. Raps gave Eugene another quick kiss. "Come on. We should get you home. I'm sure Edmund wants to hear all about how you scored the winning goal."

Once they'd gathered all the hockey gear up, the two departed, leaving Elsa and Anna alone in the Mayor's office. Anna stayed seated. She could feel that Elsa needed a moment to compose herself, so she waited. After a moment, Elsa moved, taking the spot that Eugene had as he told Anna his harrowing tale. Anna watched anxiously, observing the straightness of Elsa's spine, the stillness of her shoulders. Over the last three months, Anna had become well versed in reading Elsa's body language, and right now, it was telling Anna that her girlfriend was steeling herself for something and it was best to be patient. Eventually though, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Where's Kai and Liv?"

"Still speaking with the other families. They released all the kids pretty quickly. We were only asked to attend to ensure none of us did anything rash," Elsa said. She wasn't meeting Anna's eyes, looking down at her tightly clasped hands instead. Elsa took a deep breath and Anna's defenses instinctively erected. "Anna… I need to talk to you about something."

"No," Anna said reflexively. She was afraid she already knew the direction Elsa was going with this. Elsa finally looked up, meeting Anna's eyes for the first time since she'd returned, and cocked her head to the left slightly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I won't let you break up with me just because you think it's safer that way."

Elsa smiled sadly at Anna's assessment, and a new wave of affection washed through her. Even over the short time of knowing each other, Anna knew her so well already. There was no way she was ever letting Anna go. Elsa didn't even think that the option was a viable possibility anymore.

"I did consider that at first, but Kai quickly reprimanded me for even entertaining the thought. Regardless, it's much too late for that. For many reasons," Elsa said. Anna crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her chair. Elsa almost chuckled at her ire. It was plain as day that Anna was upset that Elsa had considered breaking up with her. "Aside from the obvious, I think it's very clear to everyone the affection I feel for you. Hans figured out that much within that very short interaction we had earlier. Leaving you now would only leave you even more vulnerable."

"Okay… and what's the obvious?" Anna's gaze was stern.

Elsa looked at the floor and twiddled with her necklace, suddenly hesitant. "I don't think I have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

Anna's expression quickly softened, and Elsa could see from the relaxed shoulders that Anna had forgiven her for the short lapse in judgement. Anna stood and joined Elsa on the couch, leaning over and giving her a soft kiss. "Good. Now that you've gotten these crazy notions out of your system, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Elsa who took one of Anna's hands in both of hers. Anna didn't realize how tense she felt until the coolness of Elsa's skin against hers helped her relax. Elsa looked into her deep, teal eyes. "Kai and Liv stayed behind to negotiate with the other families. I've asked Kai to put you under our family's protection. I know I should have asked you first if it was okay, but I was anxious to ensure your safety."

Anna saw the apology in Elsa's expression and nodded in understanding. "What does that mean?"

"Mostly it means that you're not to be harmed by any of the other three families," Elsa explained matter-of-factly. "Should you get hurt and it can be attributed to anyone of River Born heritage, my sisters and I have cause to retaliate. Likewise, it means it would... behoove you to not engage in any sort of altercation with a member of the other families."

"Ah, I see. So no more cat fights with Raps," Anna said, jokingly to lighten the mood some. It worked, and Elsa chuckled. "That sounds fine. I can refrain from fisticuffs. Though, admittedly, I did have the urge to punch that Hans guy in the mouth. But why should you have asked me if this was okay?"

Elsa suddenly tensed again, her hands growing colder upon Anna's and Anna noticed that Elsa's ears suddenly grew pink at the tips. All clear signs that Elsa was nervous about something, so Anna put her free hand on top of Elsa's. Elsa met her eyes and smiled shyly. "Well… placing a mortal under the protection of the treaty isn't something that is done lightly. It implies a sort of… permanence."

Anna waited patiently for Elsa to continue her explanation, but the blonde just looked at her with imploring eyes, willing her to see the reason. Then understanding dawned on Anna.

"Oh."

"You can always refuse… I can call Kai. Since they haven't returned yet, it's likely not too late… I'm sorry, it was very presumptuous of me… I mean, I know how _I_ feel. I shouldn't have assum-"

Elsa's downward spiral was cut off when Anna took her face in both hands and planted a kiss on Elsa's lips without warning. This kiss was a lot like their first - full of energy and feeling. Anna tried to make her feelings known to Elsa, she concentrated on pushing what she felt in her heart through her actions and hoped that Elsa would understand. When she pulled back and looked into Elsa's bright ocean eyes, she saw the unshed tears and Anna knew that she'd gotten her point across.

"It's not binding in any way. You are always free to leave," Elsa said quietly. "But it does mark you. It broadcasts to everyone how deeply I feel and it puts you in almost as much danger as not making you a ward of our family. I would understand if you didn't want this to continue."

"You underestimate my feelings for you," Anna said. She released Elsa's face, then used the back of her right hand to stroke lightly along Elsa's jaw, from ear to chin before gently pulling the girl back in for another kiss. "I can't explain how I know this, but, treaty or not, you're never getting rid of me. I'm not going anywhere."

The girls let the conversation end there and left the office. Elsa dutifully dropped Anna off at home only fifteen minutes later. There were many things that Anna was confused about regarding the events of the night, and there was still the lingering suspicion that Elsa was still hiding something from her, but two things were very clear to Anna.

One - she was undoubtedly falling head over heels for Elsa Aren. And two - Elsa most certainly felt the same way about her.

* * *


	16. The Peaceful Parley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**01 February 2019**

"Anna beeaarrrr! ANNA!"

Anna jumped a little and looked down at Go Go. "Huh? Sorry, what?"

"Pass me the adjustable wrench, would you?" Go Go said as she rolled out from under the machine she was servicing. She sat up on the mechanic's creeper and rolled her eyes. "You know, you didn't have to come help me today if you were just going to spend the whole time daydreaming about Elsa."

"No, no! Sorry," Anna winced in response as she handed over the tool. Go Go laid down again and rolled back under the large pump she was tuning. Anna continued to talk to her legs. "I _want_ to be here helping you. Truly! I feel like we haven't seen each other much lately. I feel bad."

Go Go rolled out from under the pump and dumped the wrench into the toolbox before flipping a switch. The water instantly started churning smoothly in the giant tank. Satisfied with her work, she turned to Anna. "Don't feel bad, Anna bear. I'm happy that you're happy. At least, Liv says you're happy."

"I am," Anna said with a wistful smile. "Very, very happy."

"Okay, bleh. Rein it in, ya love drunk puppy," Go Go teased. "Come on. I want to show you what I've been working on."

They walked through the rehabilitation ward toward the research labs until they reached the room that Go Go shared with Anna's mother. Go Go's work took up most of the small laboratory space as Iduna spent more of her time running the Institute than she did with any research anymore. Unlike most of the other research labs in the suite, Go Go's work looked mostly mechanical instead of biological. Her background was in engineering, but she'd gotten interested in marine wildlife after spending one summer earning some research credit with Iduna. She decided to switch the focus of her research toward using her engineering knowledge to improve the rehabilitation of the animals that came to the Institute for care. The faster the recovery, the faster the release.

Go Go walked over to her lab bench and pulled out a tub of identical, tiny black screws. "Check 'em out. Cool huh?"

"Uh… yeah?" Anna said, eyeing the bucket. Upon second inspection, she realized they weren't screws at all, but small metal pegs. The realization didn't clear anything up for Anna though, and Go Go chuckled at Anna's confused expression.

"Here, I'll show you." Go Go put an awkward looking cap on her head and scooped up a handful of the metal pieces. Right before Anna's eyes, the metal pieces shifted into a copy of the wrench that Anna had handed over to Go Go earlier. Anna gasped in surprise, and Go Go transformed the wrench into a small replica of the Eiffel Tower. She then placed the tower into the bucket and took off the wired helmet, causing the tower to immediately collapse. "My friend back home invented these nanobots. Genius kid, really. I asked him to send these to me. I thought they'd be useful in helping the animals here with recovery."

Go Go booted up her computer and pulled up a video of her working with a baby seal. It appeared to be having trouble swimming around. When it crawled out of the pool, it was clear why. "We found this pup caught in a net far off shore. We're guessing there are some poachers who are really looking for whales to capture and they left this little guy to drown."

Anna watched the video as it showed Go Go slipping the same helmet on and shaping a device around the injured seal's damaged fin. The effect was instantaneous, the seal pup began sliding its way back to one of the many tanks available to the creatures here. Now, with the tailored, mechanical brace on, the animal was able to enjoy a perfect swim through the water. The video showed the seal as it glided seamlessly around the pool, happiness apparent in both the seal and Go Go, before ending.

"That's amazing!"

Go Go smiled and nodded. "I'm working on reworking the nanobots to be able to store the design so that the helmet doesn't have to be actively worn. That way we can build something specifically tailored to each animal and their injury during their recovery, adjusting the designs as they heal."

Anna smiled genuinely at Go Go. This meant that Go Go must be close to finishing her research. The thought made Anna a little sad because it meant that Go Go may leave once she was done, but Anna was still happy for her. "That's really fantastic, Go Go. I know it might sound weird because I'm only in high school, but I'm really proud of you."

"Not weird at all, Anna bear. It actually gives me the warm and fuzzies inside," Go Go said, smiling once more. She pushed the helmet and bucket of nanobots aside then indicated for Anna to take a seat in her mother's chair. "Now that I've shown you what I've been up to, it's your turn to tell me about Elsa."

Anna felt her cheeks warm with a blush. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy! You've been officially dating for almost two months now. Not to mention you flirted for nearly two months before that -"

"We did not! I thought Elsa hated me for the first two months I was here."

"You know what they say about the line between love and hate," Go Go said with a roll of her eyes. That stopped Anna's argument in its tracks. She hadn't really considered that explanation for Elsa's early behavior before. Go Go smirked, interpreting Anna's silence correctly. "Exactly. So, tell me - how is it going?"

Anna truly considered the question. While she still felt that there was one final piece of the puzzle Elsa was keeping hidden from her, Anna had to admit that she'd never been happier. Elsa understood her in ways that no one else did, aside from maybe her mother, and Anna felt like she knew Elsa just as well. Their relationship was steady, and that tug that had first started pulling them together grew stronger everyday. Sometimes, Anna could even call upon it, follow it to wherever Elsa was if she focused very hard. She didn't know what to make of it and she didn't want to tell Elsa in case she thought Anna was crazy, but Anna found comfort in having this inexplicable connection.

"It's great… wonderful… perfect… There's no real word to describe how it's going really," Anna said, another wistful smile gracing her small face.

"I think I understand," Go Go said with a knowing look in her eye. "Then I'm also very proud of you, Anna."

"For what?" Anna asked, head lilting in curiosity.

Go Go smiled. "Nothing in particular. Just proud of you."

The desk phone rang before Anna could respond and Go Go picked it up. "Hey, Dr. N… Yeah, she's right here… Sure, of course. I'll bring her right over."

"My mom's looking for me?"

"The Institute had some new contacts come by for a meeting today," Go Go explained as she led Anna back out of the research wing toward the offices. "There's a small island not too far off the southern coast that's home to a pod of walruses. We're interested in setting up a small station there for study and some representatives of land owners have come to hear our case. Sounds like they are interested in meeting the first daughter of the Institute."

"That's not a thing," Anna said. Go Go only shrugged as they rounded the corner that led to her mother's office and then bid Anna a quick goodbye before heading back to her lab. When she reached the door, Anna knocked and opened it when she heard her mother grant her entrance, but Anna froze in the doorway when she saw who was inside.

There were three people other than her mother in the office. The first man she saw was very tall and older than the rest of the visitors (she was guessing early forties), his dark auburn hair was beginning to grey on the sides. He stood with confidence, and his dark eyes beneath his thick eyebrows were calculating, like he catalogued everything with discernment. The next man was slightly younger with hair that was closer to orange in color. While the older of the two men was hulking in appearance, this one was slender but toned. This younger man also eyed Anna as she entered, but more with curiosity rather than the expectant evaluation of the older man. But it was the final occupant in the room that gave her pause.

Hans Westergaard. _What's he doing here?_ Anna looked between Hans and the other two men and quickly noted the similarities. _Three Westergaards in Arendelle? I wonder if Elsa knows._

"Ah, Anna sweetie. Thank you for coming to meet our guests," Iduna said. Anna looked at her mother. Iduna's tone was casual, but Anna could hear the anxiety in it. It was nearly half an octave higher than usual, and there was a tightness in her eyes that her smile didn't reach. It was clear to Anna that these men made her mother uncomfortable. "I'm told you've met Hans before. These are his brothers - Lars and Rorik."

Anna was at a loss of what to do. She had every instinct to call Elsa. As she quickly tried to come up with an excuse to leave, the younger of the two men (Rorik, she guessed), stepped forward with an outstretched hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Anna," Rorik said. He had a gentle voice and his smile was kind, and Anna remembered that both Liv and Rapunzel had said he's the most reasonable of the Westergaard brothers. She decided on diplomacy and took his proffered hand.

"Hello," Anna said. Rorik gave her another reassuring smile even if Anna didn't find it reassuring at all to be in the presence of these three. She noticed he had very pronounced freckles upon his face, unlike the other two brothers in the room who had very minimal spots upon their cheeks. After he stepped back, the eldest brother stepped forward. It took all of Anna's bravery and determination to not shrink back when he offered her a hand.

"Thank you for seeing us, Anna," Lars said as she took his hand. He had a gravelly voice that grated in Anna's ears. She was surprised at first at how warm his hands were, but knowing the history of the Westergaards, Anna figured she should have guessed. He looked at her intently and Anna was reminded of her first meeting with Hans. He had also looked at her like she was a puzzle waiting to be solved. "We were about to go over the contracts your mother had, but little Hans over there was getting restless."

"Oh?" Anna asked, suddenly wary and glancing quickly at Hans. She did not have a good first or second impression of the boy.

"Yes, dear," her mother said. "He said he's interested in some of the rehabilitation work we do here and was wondering if you'd take him on a tour of the facilities."

"Oh well, I'm sure Go Go or one of the other researchers would be much more suited to do that," Anna said. She'd be loath to spend more time than necessary with Hans.

"He asked for you specifically," Iduna said. Though she also looked like she was reluctant to allow Anna to show the boy around, there was no reason for her to refuse. Anna knew her way around the Institute well and there were likely to be other people around to keep an eye on the two teenagers. "Please do me this favor, Anna."

Anna sighed, though very quietly. She was sure this was important for her mother's work or else she wouldn't ask her to do it when it was clear that both Iduna and Anna weren't comfortable with it. "Okay. How quick of a tour?"

"Just the rehabilitation center. These final negotiations should only take about half an hour," Iduna said. Her eyes told Anna that she'd make sure it'd be done by then no matter what.

Anna nodded her understanding. She looked at Hans, hardly containing her disdain. She gave him a single nod then turned on her heels and walked out the door. She heard him laughing softly behind her as he quickly caught up and fell step by her side. Anna led him in silence back down the long hallway and toward the wing that she and Go Go had been earlier. She could feel his eyes on her, but she kept her own focused ahead, not sparing him a glance.

"Are you always this quiet? From what I understand, the Ice Queen is not particularly talkative. Do you two just sit in silence?" Hans said lightly. Anna balled her fists at her side, already irritated. His smooth voice was friendly, but she didn't want to engage more than necessary. And she definitely was not going to entertain this venue of conversation. He seemed to find her ire amusing because he chuckled. "Do I annoy you?"

"Very much," Anna said, breaking her silence. "And she's not an Ice Queen."

"Au contraire," Hans said. And much to Anna's frustration, she glanced sideways at him. He gave her a small smirk. "I think we can both agree that she quite literally is."

"What are you all even doing here anyway? I thought your family couldn't step foot in Arendelle except for special circumstances."

"Ah, so the Ice… I mean Elsa… told you everything?" Hans asked. Anna stared straight ahead, keeping a brisk pace. He took her silence as confirmation. "Sporting events and peaceful parleys, yes. Those are the only permissible reasons for us to visit this… quaint island. That's the beauty of a contract though. The language is up to interpretation. A business meeting, for example, could be interpreted as a peaceful parley."

 _Slimy and conniving,_ she thought. Anna sighed and turned toward him, stopping their progress to the rehabilitation wing just outside the glass doors separating the area from the small anteroom between it and the research wing. "And why are _you_ here? Why did you ask for me specifically? You can't possibly have known that I would be here."

"You're right about that. It was a lucky happenstance that you were already here, but I was willing to wait for you to arrive in order to get this tour," he said, his smirk turning sheepish as he averted his gaze toward the floor. Anna said nothing as she waited for the rest of his answer. "And as to your questions - I'm here because my brothers made me come. I'm the last of thirteen boys in my father's line, and I'm coming of age soon. They thought it was time for me to… start living up to our family name."

Hans frowned, an obvious discomfort in sharing something so personal with her. Anna blinked in surprise. From her brief interaction with Hans before the hockey game, and then his instigating a fight with Eugene, her only impression of Hans was that of an arrogant jerk. This bashful demeanor was unexpected, and against her better judgement, she let her guard down a little. But he wasn't quite forgiven yet.

"That only answered my first question," she said, keeping her voice even and unaffected.

He looked up at her and sighed. "I wanted to apologize to you. I understand that what I had done, instigating that fight between myself and the Fitzherbert kid, was foolish, but emotions run high in a hockey game and my father was quick to reprimand me when I got home for what I'd done. Nothing, though, excuses how I treated you beforehand."

"It wasn't just me," she said, still trying to remain indifferent to the boy. Her anger, however, was dissipating in the face of his perceived sincerity.

"No, it wasn't," he responded with a nod. "And I apologized to both Elsa and Rapunzel during the meeting that followed the end of the game. They weren't really receptive, the nurse… sorry, I mean Rapunzel... was reluctant to heal my broken nose, but I got to say my piece. You, however, I didn't get the chance to speak to in person. So, here I am - I'm very sorry for the way I spoke both to and about you that day. My mother raised gentlemen, and I dishonored her memory with my behavior."

Anna studied him for a moment. He seemed genuine, his green eyes were clear and she found no hidden intent in his posture or expression. He really was sorry at the very least that he may have disappointed his mother. She sighed over dramatically.

"Okay."

Hans' face lit up. "You forgive me?"

"Whoa, there. Don't get ahead of yourself. You are not forgiven, but I'm at least willing to overlook it for now," she clarified, still wary of the boy. "A bad first impression is a hard thing to overcome, but I'm willing to give you one chance. You have about…" she checked her watch quickly, "twenty-two minutes to change my mind."

"Then let's not waste another second," he said with a grin and pulled open the door, gesturing for her to enter first. "After you, gentle lady."

"Too much," she said, rolling her eyes and he chuckled in response as he followed her through the door. "So, this is the rehabilitation area. There's a bunch of tanks for the injured animals to swim around in a controlled environment. Every animal that comes to stay here is assigned to one of the researchers, interns, or volunteers. Though the staff works as a team, the assigned person takes the most care for that animal during their entire time here until they are well enough to be released back into the habitat."

"Do you volunteer?" Hans asked as he observed a beluga whale floating contentedly in one of the largest tanks. He seemed genuinely interested in both the animals around him and in Anna.

"Every now and then," Anna answered. "I usually just help Go Go when I have time to spare."

"Go Go?"

"She's a post-doc fellow here and has been working with my mom for a few years now. They started doing research together pretty soon after my mom and I arrived in Monterey," Anna explained. She wasn't sure why, but Hans was easy to share with, at least when he wasn't being an outright pompous ass. "Are you interested in becoming a marine biologist?"

"When I was younger, yes," he said, turning away from the tanks to speak to her. "My mother encouraged me to pursue what interested me, whatever it was - hockey, piano, science. She said I could be whatever I wanted despite…"

"Despite what the rest of your family wants you to be," Anna guessed when he trailed off. His expression turned a little sour and he turned back to the tanks.

"My future, just like the rest of my brothers, was already planned out before I got any say," Hans explained, moving to look at a tank with several king crabs crawling along the bottom. "After my mother died five years ago, Father became very strict. She balanced him out, you see, and without her, his… _fiery_ exterior, excuse the pun, was left unchecked. As the youngest of thirteen boys, I'm quite certain I'll never live up to his expectations."

Hans stopped and shook his head, trying to rid the atmosphere of his melancholy. He turned back to her and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure you understand what I mean."

She shook her head. "No, not really. My mother sounds a lot like yours - encouraging and supportive, and I don't have a dad. Well… What I mean is I never knew him. He died when I was still a baby."

"That must be hard," Hans said sympathetically. "I at least knew my mother. While I don't always see eye to eye with my father, I still could not imagine not having known him. Do you at least know what your dad was like?"

"Not really. My mom doesn't like to talk about him. We don't have any pictures of him either. The only thing I know is that his name was Andy," Anna explained. Hans cocked his head to one side, intrigue clear in his eyes. "Oh and that I get my eyes, hair, and freckles from him, but I learned to stop asking about him a long time ago. It always seemed to cause Mom so much pain to speak of him… You know what? I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this."

He laughed jovially at that last bit. "My mother used to tell me I had a sweet disposition when I wanted to let it show. I make people want to open up to me somehow. Perhaps you're just feeding off of that energy?"

"Perhaps," Anna said with a little frown. She did not want to like this guy, but he was doing a very good job at changing that first impression around. Anna glanced at the clock on the wall and was relieved to see there was less than ten minutes to get through. She steered the conversation back away from herself as she led him in a loop back around toward the exit. "So, what's the Southern Isles like?"

"Much like here, really," he answered with a smile. "The only difference being that everything is spread out over several small islands instead of one large one. The high school and small private college occupy one land mass for instance, and the majority of the town is housed by the largest in our little cluster. My family has our own, decently sized island that most of us live on in the many houses we'd built over the generations. It's not uncommon to take several ferry rides each day. I'm glad to have my own boat now and no longer have to rely on the ferry schedule."

"That sounds tedious and unpleasant."

"You aren't a fan of boats?"

"Last time I was on a boat, I got washed off into the Dead Sea," she answered automatically. "I don't plan on repeating the experience any time soon."

"That's understandable," Hans responded just as they reached the glass doors that they'd entered through. "So, how did I do? Have you changed your mind about me?"

Anna considered his question carefully. She definitely didn't feel the same animosity that she had felt up until this point, but she was still unwilling to completely trust him. Though now she was wondering if it was simply Elsa's prejudice that clouded her judgement.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly.

"So not friends?" he asked a little dejectedly, glancing sideways at her as they walked back down the hallway to her mother's office.

"No, not friends," she said, but after a moment she added, "though perhaps not enemies either."

He smiled widely, the genuine happiness meeting his eyes and turning them a brighter shade of green than she'd noticed before. "I'll take that for now. Here," he said and handed her a slip of paper. "I know it might seem forward at this point, but here's my number. In case you ever have any questions."

"What sort of questions?" she asked with curiosity and caution, but she took the slip of paper regardless. They reached Iduna's office just as the door opened and its occupants filed out. It seemed that all the negotiations had concluded just in time.

"There's always two sides to every story, Anna," Hans said with a smile despite the resolute tone in his voice. Everyone said their well wishes after that and the three Westergaards left Arendelle.

"How was the tour, little duck?" her mother asked after they'd seen the visitors out. Anna could sense that she was still on edge. After her quick goodbye with the eldest brother, Lars, Anna could understand her mother's unease despite not knowing what the Westergaard family truly was. The man was intimidating enough without the knowledge that he probably had some sort of fire powers. Anna couldn't imagine how her mother would react if she knew.

"It was… interesting. Not entirely unpleasant," Anna said, surprised at her own honest assessment. She was unsure of her current stance, but she knew there was one thing she needed to do. Anna turned to her mom and gave her an easy smile. "Is it okay if I go over to Elsa's for the rest of the afternoon?"

* * *

Elsa felt the tug that told her Anna was close before she'd reached the house. She was expecting her anyway since Anna had texted a while ago letting Elsa know she was done at the Institute a little early. When she knew Anna was at the end of the driveway, she darted downstairs and opened the front door before Anna could ring the bell. Elsa's smile faltered slightly when she saw Anna's expression. Anna looked like her usual, happy self, but there was something about her that felt off, she wasn't as bright as usual.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked immediately.

"Nothing's wrong," Anna said lightly and stole a quick kiss from Elsa. When she pulled back, she gave Elsa a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Anna waved to Go Go as the girl drove off and then entered the house when Elsa stepped aside. Anna's evasiveness put Elsa at ill ease.

"Anna?"

Anna turned and looked at Elsa. The blonde's eyes were searching hers for answers, and Anna could practically feel the panic rising in her girlfriend; she was so tuned into Elsa's feelings now. Anna took one of Elsa's hands. "Look, I don't want to have secrets, but I also don't want you to overreact, okay?"

"I'll try," Elsa said, brow furrowing further. Anna's comments only served to put her more on edge. "What is it?"

Anna sighed in defeat. She knew Elsa was going to overreact. Anna just hoped that Kai was here to talk Elsa down when she did. "There were a few Westergaards at the Institute today."

"What!? Are you okay? Did they threaten you?" The words tumbled out of Elsa's mouth in a quick panic. She pulled Anna close and looked her over carefully, checking for signs of distress she may have missed.

 _Yeah, overreaction,_ Anna thought. She felt relieved as Kai came around the corner and Liv appeared at the top of the stairs. Anna had figured out quickly, in a rather embarrassing situation, that on top of being inhumanly fast and strong, they also had an acute sense of hearing. She knew that, if the two elder sisters were in the house, they'd come at the mention of the Fire Spirit family.

"Tell us everything, sweetie," Kai said as the four of them sat in the living room, Anna sitting with Elsa on the small sofa and the two elder sisters on separate chairs across from them.

"The Institute is hoping to do some work on one of their smaller islands so Lars and Rorik came to negotiate the terms," Anna explained.

"Lars was here?" Liv said in a low voice. She turned to Kaira. "What does this mean, Kai? Can I go kick his ass now?"

"But they didn't break the treaty," Anna said quickly. She didn't want them to act rashly. The three sisters looked at her expectantly. "I mean, they technically were within the constraints of the contract, right? A peaceful parley… just… with the Institute."

Liv and Elsa looked at Kaira, but the eldest hadn't looked away from Anna; though, she wasn't really seeing her. Her eyes were distant, looking past everything in front of her as she thought carefully, mentally assessing the confines of the treaty. Soon enough, she nodded carefully and looked at her sisters with a decided expression.

"She's right," Kaira said and she held up her hand to quiet her two younger sisters who had stood up in indignation, shouting their disapproval. "It's a loophole, but it's not wrong. The treaty doesn't say their peaceful meetings on Arendelle have to be with one of us or a Corona."

"That is inexcusable!" Liv shouted. "We can't let this slide. Those conniving sons of b-"

"We _will not_ act," Kaira said authoritatively, cutting Liv off on her tirade. She looked sternly at both younger sisters until they both sat down. "They are within their rights. Technically, there was no breach in the agreement and so we will not retaliate against their blatant underhandedness."

"I don't like it," Liv murmured.

"You don't have to like it, but you will abide by my decision," Kaira said. They stared each other down for a long moment before Liv sulkily nodded her acceptance. Kaira then looked back to Anna. "Are you okay, sweetie? Lars is not an easy man to meet."

"I'm good. I didn't have to deal with him for long. I took Hans on a tour of the Institute," Anna said. She felt Elsa stiffen next to her and realized the mistake she'd made. Anna looked at Elsa sheepishly. "I forgot to mention Hans was here too, huh?"

Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You took him on a tour? By yourself?"

"I mean, there were other people around. But yeah…" Anna said. She could tell this wasn't making the situation any better though because Elsa had pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a deep sigh. "It was fine, Elsa. I showed him some of the animals. We talked about life. It turned out okay."

"This time," Elsa said quietly, and then opened her eyes to look at Anna, desperately trying to make her see reason. "It turned out okay _this_ time."

"Well, I wasn't really planning on there being a _next_ time," Anna said sorely. She didn't mention that she had Hans' phone number folded up in her coat pocket. Anna didn't plan on ever using it and it would only serve to elevate Elsa's clear anxiety at the moment. She didn't see any harm in keeping this one, harmless secret.

Elsa had turned her attention to Kaira. Anna was getting used to these small, silent conversations the sisters had. Sometimes, Kaira had them with Anna too now. Having someone else in your head was strange, but she had come to cherish her personal conversations with Elsa's eldest sister. A moment later, Kaira stood up and looked pointedly at Liv.

"We'll leave you two now," Kaira said and started to walk away, Liv already dashing toward the gym in the garage, but turned once more to Elsa. "Everything, snowbug. She has to know."

"What does she mean?" Anna asked after she and Elsa were left alone. Elsa gave her a sad smile before she took Anna's hand and started leading her upstairs. Elsa's hand felt colder than usual so Anna knew that she must be nervous about the conversation they were about to have.

"What did Rapunzel tell you about how my parents died?" Elsa asked.

Anna's eyes widened at the question. This was definitely not what she was expecting. "She said their boat sank in the Southern Seas when you were eight."

"That's the official story," Elsa said with a nod as they ascended to the third floor. "The story for the papers and the town. The version where what we are remains unknown to the rest of the Arendellians."

"And what really happened to them?" Anna whispered as they approached a door at the furthest end of the hallway, the one room in the Aren Manor Anna had yet to see.

"They were murdered," Elsa said quietly as they paused outside this final door. "By Lars Westergaard."


	17. The Feud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

Elsa pushed open the door to reveal a room that didn't quite fit with the rest of the Aren Manor as Anna knew it. Where the rest of the home had been renovated into Elsa's signature style, this room seemed to have been untouched in decades. It more fit the look of the exterior of the building, stylized much like the Corona Manor. A classic, timeless look - crown moldings, light hardwood flooring, chestnut colored furnishings. The air was laden with melancholy, and Anna felt like she'd walked into a memorial of sorts.

"This was our parents' room," Elsa said quietly, letting her gaze sweep over everything, just like Anna's had, before she met those comforting, teal eyes. Elsa gestured to the room with a wave of her hand. "Please. Feel free to look."

Anna stepped further into the room slowly. The largest piece of furniture was the king sized four-poster bed, a tan old fashioned trunk topped with a bench cushion sat at the foot of it. The rest of the furnishings - two nightstands, a large wardrobe, and a vanity - matched the dark stained wood of the bed frame. She could see that there was a large, en suite bathroom on the far side, and a huge bay window on the north wall. The his and hers bedside tables had some pictures on them, some of just a man and woman - faces that Anna had seen many times over throughout Elsa's home - and some of them with their three daughters at various ages. Anna walked over to the vanity. There was only one more picture here. It was of the three sisters with their mother. From their apparent ages, Anna guessed that this was one of the last pictures they'd taken together. There was an elegant jewelry box that had been left open, and some cosmetics that were still strewn about on the table's surface. It was as if Elsa's mother had been in the middle of getting ready when she'd suddenly abandoned her place in front of the mirror.

"We haven't touched anything since that day," Elsa said quietly, coming to look at her mother's things with Anna, and guessing correctly where Anna's thoughts were. "Everything is as they had left it that morning."

Anna turned to look at Elsa, feeling her sadness before she even got a look at those sorrow filled, ocean eyes. "You said the boat story was a cover?"

Elsa nodded slowly. "Our family is at one with the Water Spirit. An Aren would never drown."

Anna should have guessed that earlier. It tracked really. Elsa had dove from a pier to save her from the Dark Sea without batting an eye. "So what really happened?"

Elsa's eyes moved to the picture on the vanity. She used the back of one finger to brush the light coating of dust from her mother's face. "The animosity between the Arens and Westergaards spans back many generations, all the way back to Kolga and Brann themselves. They rarely saw eye to eye, and that enmity passed through the generations. As such, our ideals and demeanors just don't mix. Much like Water and Fire are natural opposites, the feud between the Arens and the Westergaards occurs just as naturally.

"Nearly every great war between the four families can be attributed to a sort of disagreement between Fire and Water. The last one began when I had just turned two. Before then, there was an unprecedented peaceful time, lasting almost one-hundred seventy years," Elsa said as she led Anna over to the wardrobe. Anna's eyes went wide as Elsa pushed the wardrobe to the right, revealing a small room lined with shelves laden with books and a small table in the center, the largest tome in the room laying on top of it. "This is where all the history of my family is stored. Journals and first hand accounts, family lineages and power catalogues. They've been preserved in this room since our ancestors built this home; everything kept safe by the head of household. Kai should have taken this room by now, but she can't bring herself to move into it… I don't really blame her."

Anna nodded as she walked around the small space. She was overwhelmed by the amount of history that was held in this hidden room. The air felt charged, almost as if the magic of Elsa's ancestors lingered in the very fabric of the books upon the shelves. "What was the war about? The one almost two hundred years ago."

Elsa shrugged. "Our timeline is a little incomplete there. In fact, many of our journals lack slightly during the various war times. I think it's because our ancestors didn't find as much chance to document with the fighting going on. We can really only piece together the events before and after. Though, the journals do make a lot of mentions to a Snow Queen throughout those times."

"Snow Queen? Like… someone in your family that had your powers before?" Anna asked, abandoning her perusal of the books along the walls and turning to Elsa.

"Dominion over the ice and snow has a historic past in my family," Elsa nodded. "There have only been a handful of Arens blessed with this power, including Kolga herself. Every Aren with the power to control the winter has had a hard, short life. At least, that's the conclusion that can be drawn from our history."

Anna frowned, horrified at the thought that Elsa's life could be shortened somehow. "What do you mean?"

"The few in my family that have been given this gift have always been very powerful. As you can imagine, that garners some unwanted attention," Elsa said gravely. She opened up the book that was laying on the center of the table. The picture she opened to spanned both pages of the book. It showed a beautiful woman, hair so blonde it was almost white, standing high above a battlefield as snow swirled around the page. "There hasn't been a Snow Queen that did not have to participate in a great war. In fact, you can almost say she is the reason behind every one of them. When one person has that much raw power, she's either coveted or feared. Regardless of the impetus, it incites unease which leads to conflict which, in turn, leads to destruction. And she is always at the center of it."

Understanding took hold as Elsa's words sunk in. Anna looked at Elsa like she was seeing her for the first time and noticed the weight that she carried - the hunch of her shoulders, the deep v between her eyebrows. This was the final piece. The one secret she felt that Elsa had been keeping from her, and a sinking feeling began in the pit of Anna's stomach.

"Elsa," she whispered. "What ended the peace?"

Elsa looked at her, eyes shining with despair, and Anna knew before she voiced it. "I did. My very existence caused the Westergaards to break the long standing treaty."

"I don't understand," Anna responded, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"When I first started showing signs of the gift Nature had blessed me with, my parents tried to hide me. They were afraid for my safety. Like I said, the history of the Snow Queen is not one filled with happiness," Elsa said, looking back down at the open book in front of them. "But the peace was ingrained then. Travel and communication between the families of the Southern Isles and Arendelle were commonplace, and the wars and conflicts of the past were far behind us, long forgotten. Even personal relationships between all four families were strong."

Elsa paused and looked up at Anna. "Did you know that Kai was in love with a Westergaard?" Anna gasped, placing a hand over her mouth and shook her head. Elsa smiled sadly and nodded in confirmation. "Yes - Erik, the eighth in line. They'd been friends their whole lives, and their relationship grew as they got older. We all loved him really - the son my father never had, the brother Liv always wanted. I was still very small, but he was kind and I knew he made Kai happy. So you see, with friendships reaching between families, hiding my powers was impossible. Being so young, I hadn't learned control yet, and with all the families so intermingled, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed my gifts.

"It happened when I was two and playing in the backyard. Erik and Kai were watching over Liv and me. Erik had already known then, it was hard for Kaira to keep secrets from him, but he kept the truth from his family. Apparently, I had used my powers to create some snow to play in, but my sisters didn't think much of it since we were at home," Elsa continued, the tension in her shoulders increasing as she approached the worst parts of her childhood story, ice began to creep along the walls and Anna saw her breath mist in front of her, but she didn't stop Elsa's story. "Then Lars had come looking for Erik, something that he didn't often do. There wasn't much Erik could say to convince Lars that what he'd seen was nothing. It was June and I was playing in a fresh pile of snow. He could easily see the truth, and tried to put an end to me right then and there."

"WHAT!? But you were just a baby!"

"The Westergaards have their own version of history, Anna," Elsa said. "A history that told him I'm destined to create chaos."

"That shouldn't matter! Nothing can justify harming a child," Anna was on the verge of tears. The idea was so abhorrent to her.

"Lars is a… dominant sort of man," Elsa said, doing her best to stay calm since Anna looked on the edge of a tirade. "Many of the Westergaards are. It's just in their nature - fire is erratic and consuming, unruly, destructive, and untamable. Their affinity to such a volatile element leads them to seek out power for their own or snuff out power they cannot obtain. It matters not if that power is contained within a child."

Anna sank into the chair that she was standing next to, looking at Elsa with wide, alarmed eyes. "That's… That's completely…"

"Barbaric?" Elsa offered. Her eyes hardened as she continued her story. "I was lucky that Kai and Erik were outside with us. She used her telekinesis to move me away quickly while Erik absorbed the brunt of his brother's attack long enough for Liv to run inside to find Papa. Luckily, our father was much stronger than Lars and stopped his attack, but by then, the damage was done. There was no convincing Lars that he was mistaken. He took Erik home, and when he returned with their father, it was to formally renounce the Westergaard adherence to the treaty that had been in place for almost two centuries."

"All over a child who hadn't done anything? That's just so… brazen!"

"Just like fire," Elsa said sardonically, eyes turning downcast as she traced her hand along the wood grain pattern of the table. "The conflict was quiet though, in the beginning. The River Born families all agree that it is better that the mortals know not of our existence. A full war would draw too much attention with technology these days. There's no way we could contain the news with camera phones and the internet. So, our families mostly just chose to stay away from each other. At least, until that last day.

"It was July. My father had taken my sisters and me to the Park. He used to give us lessons to help us harness our powers to their full potential, you see, and the Park had the space for such activities. I didn't realize then that he was preparing us for a bleaker future than my innocent mind could imagine. While I understood the conflict as a concept, our parents had done a good job at keeping it from us, to give us all as normal a childhood as possible," Elsa said, voice detached to keep herself on track; though Anna could still feel the anger and sadness emanating from her. "But Lars snuck onto the island that day and into our house. He originally planned to take me, but he'd only found my mother at home. So he took her instead.

"When Auntie Ari found us at the park, she was completely distressed. She had gone over to our house for tea, but all she found was an empty home left in disarray. The scorch marks, the aura, and the… blood told her everything she needed to know," Elsa said through gritted teeth. "Papa didn't wait. He asked Auntie Ari to keep us safe and he left for the Southern Isles immediately despite my aunt's protests. That was the last time we saw our father alive."

Elsa paused and took several deep breaths, but she couldn't help the tear that escaped. Anna quickly stood and wiped the tear trail away before taking both of Elsa's hands in hers. The warmth from Anna's hands was comforting, and the chill that had found its way into the room without Elsa's realizing it dissipated, the ice along the walls retreating.

"What really happened to your parents?" Anna asked quietly.

"We don't exactly know for sure. Erik came that night. He'd… brought their bodies back to us. He wouldn't tell us what happened, said it didn't matter much because it doesn't change anything. I guess he was right about that," Elsa said, sighing heavily. "Kai...sent him away. She'd felt betrayed by Erik's silence, heartbroken over his possible involvement. She gave him back his engagement ring after the funeral."

"They were getting married?" Anna asked in a breathless whisper. Her heart ached for the motherly, kind woman that was somewhere below them in the house.

"Even against his family's wishes, Erik loved her. They would have been the first to unite our two families together, but she couldn't go through with it despite the fact that she loved him too. She couldn't look at Erik anymore without seeing our dead parents." Elsa pulled her hands from Anna's grasp and turned back to the book on the table, running her hand over the depiction of the Snow Queen, while Anna mulled over everything Elsa had told her. It was all so overwhelming for both of them. Elsa closed her eyes tightly and sighed once more, breaking Anna's thoughts. "I'm so sorry, Anna."

"Huh? What are you sorry for?" Anna asked with a frown.

"For dragging you into all of this," Elsa said, gesturing to the room around them. "I've put you in danger. I should have never brought you into our world, but I wasn't strong enough to stay away from you. It was so selfish of -"

"Stop," Anna said, suddenly stern. She took Elsa by the shoulders and forced her to look at her. "None of this is your fault, Elsa."

"Isn't it though?" Elsa said, not really asking. She turned her head to look back at the book. "This war, my parent's deaths, my sister's broken heart… it's all because of what I am. And any conflict that's destined to happen in the future will surely be because of what I become, the monster and storm that's inside of me."

"No. The only person to blame for all those things is Lars," Anna said while shaking her head swiftly. Elsa scoffed and opened her mouth to rebut her, but Anna held steadfast. She forced Elsa to look back at her. "You can't blame yourself for who you are, and you are not responsible for all the discord. I don't think you see yourself clearly at all. You are _not_ a monster, Elsa. You are kind and selfless, caring and protective. You dote on me and you love your family fiercely."

"You're biased," Elsa said, but the little smirk on her face told Anna she was getting somewhere.

"Hell yeah, I am, but it's still the truth," Anna said, smiling widely. "You need to see yourself the way that I see you; the way your sisters and Rapunzel, and your Aunt and Uncle see you. Because this," Anna said, waving her hand toward the book but never once letting her gaze waver from Elsa's eyes. "This is not your future. You know how I know that?"

Elsa looked at her, ocean blue eyes meeting bright teal. She searched Anna's eyes for the answer, but she couldn't see one for herself. Elsa opened her mouth several times, trying to find the words, but just shook her head eventually when they failed her.

"Look at her, Elsa," Anna said, pointing at the Snow Queen. "She stands alone, isolated even from her own family."

Anna's hand moved to another area of the picture to where several other figures were shown to be wielding water against several fire and wind users. Elsa had never noticed them before, her eyes were always so drawn to the woman on the page that looked so much like herself.

"We would never let you stand alone, Elsa," Anna said, now turning to face the blonde, causing Elsa to pivot her body toward Anna unconsciously. " _I_ would _never_ leave your side. Whatever comes, we'll face it together. Whatever fate every Snow Queen before you has met will not be yours. I won't allow it. I will be right there with you. No matter what."

Elsa's eyes burned with tears as she looked at Anna and took in her words. She could hardly believe her luck that this bright, resilient girl would choose her. Elsa said a silent thanks to Nature for bringing Anna to her. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Anna smiled brightly before pulling Elsa in for a long kiss. "You're you. Nature knew that was enough."

* * *

The girls were lounging in the music room sometime later, Elsa playing a gentle tune on her piano as Anna sat reading a book in a squashy armchair Elsa had moved into the room specifically for Anna's use whenever they hung out in there, when Kaira came to find them.

"Hey, snowbug. Liv was hoping she could get your help putting together some new gym equipment she just got delivered."

"Okay," Elsa said as she closed the fallboard. She turned to Anna, who had already marked her spot in the book and stood up from the chair.

"Actually, I thought you might like to help me prepare dinner," Kaira said as she looked at Anna with a kind smile. "Elsa said you enjoy cooking and they're just going to horse around dangerously while they puzzle together whatever new contraption Liv purchased."

"Oh, that sounds great!" Anna said enthusiastically, relieved to have another option. "Tools and I usually end in disaster. Go Go has the scars to prove it."

The two sisters laughed, and they all left the music room together. Elsa parted ways at the bottom of the staircase, dashing away too fast for Anna's eyes, as Anna and Kaira headed to the kitchen.

"What are we making?"

"Liv and Elsa's favorite," Kaira said as she pulled out flour and eggs. She smiled Anna's way and raised an eyebrow. "Carbs."

"Nothing really beats carbs," Anna said with a chuckle. She watched Kaira measure out some flour and dump it into a pile directly on top of the marbled quartz countertop of the island before creating a large hole in the center of the flour mound. "Oh, are you making fresh pasta?"

"Mmhm. Spinach and cheese ravioli," Kaira said as she cracked a few eggs. "It's always a bit tedious, but I enjoy it. Have you made pasta before?"

"Not from scratch, no."

"Then come here, little one. I'll teach you," Kai said. Anna came around to the other side of the island and Kaira had Anna take her spot. "You want to start by whisking the eggs. Then, once scrambled, begin folding in the flour by hand a little at a time."

Anna followed Kaira's instructions, trying her best not to make too much of a mess. Kaira was very patient as she talked Anna through the steps, demonstrating the best technique for kneading the pasta dough when the time came, and helping her roll out the dough into the thin sheet. Anna agreed that the process was tedious, but immensely enjoyable.

"Have you always liked cooking?" Anna asked as she used a round cookie cutter on the rolled out pasta while Kaira started filling and forming the raviolis.

"No, not at all. Much to my mother's disappointment," Kaira said with a laugh. "I preferred to use my time reading mostly, but whenever Mama made pasta, I loved to help. There are shortcuts, utilizing equipment like food processors to make it easier and faster, but she always said there's the easy way to do things and the right way."

"I think our moms would have gotten along," Anna said with a smile. She rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin, adopting her mother's regal sounding tone. "Anna Rae, if you'd just done it the way I taught you the first time, you wouldn't have to do it over again."

Kaira blinked at her several times before she let out a short laugh. "You're really good at that. There must be some alternate universe out there where you're a princess. Or a queen."

"Wouldn't that be a sight? The clumsiest queen ever with a talent for awkward rambling," Anna said and they both laughed heartily.

"You give yourself so little credit, sweetie," Kaira said after their laughter died down. A more serious tone creeping into her voice. "You took all that information about our family and the feud with the Westergaards with all the grace and poise of royalty."

Anna removed the last circle from the sheet of pasta and pushed aside the scraps before meeting Kaira's eyes. It was the first time she noticed that Kaira's eyes were a slight shade darker than Elsa's, so close it was almost indistinguishable, but Anna knew Elsa's eyes so well now, she could pick out the difference. However, the depth was the same. Kaira's eyes were just as expressive, and they displayed an inner tension that she usually masked so well.

"Well, that was easy to do," Anna said with quiet confidence, attempting to reassure the motherly worry she could sense in Kaira's gaze. "It's what Elsa needed from me in that moment."

The eldest Aren sister studied Anna for a beat and then smiled. "I understand. Have you told her yet?"

"Told her what?" Anna said, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Oh nothing, sweetie. I'm sure you'll know what I meant soon enough." Kaira shook her head, getting her answer from Anna anyway. Anna nodded even though she didn't really understand, but she was so focused on correctly pinching the raviolis she was stuffing it left her mind easily. Kaira broke the quite once more after a couple minutes of diligent work. "Thank you, Anna."

Anna looked up and smiled. "Of course! I'm really enjoying cooking with you."

"Oh, that too, but I was referring to earlier. For doing things the right way and not the easy way with Elsa," Kaira said gently, a graceful smile on her face. "I can be pretty protective of her; for many reasons of which you probably now understand all the more. I have to commend you on how you handled the information, all of it really - from learning about our heritage to the history of the Snow Queen and the death of our parents. You take it all in stride. I worried for a long time that she'd never learn to open up to anyone outside of myself and Liv. I'm very grateful that Elsa has found you."

"Me too... I mean, aside from the fact that I'd be dead many times over by now had I not met Elsa... she's just so wonderful, you know? She's beautiful and caring, strong and inspiring. She's funny too, a bit of a dry sense of humor but it's so fitting… She's so talented and her singing voice makes me swoon _every time_... There's just so many reasons why I - oh…" Anna froze on the spot as a new revelation came over her. _I almost just said… Whoa. Okay, now is not the time._ Anna shook her head and smiled at Kaira. "There are just so many reasons to be grateful for Elsa."

Kaira returned Anna's smile with a knowing smirk before she turned to the pot on the stove and dropped a few ravioli into some boiling water. The conversation hit a lull for a few minutes, the older woman dutifully cooking the pasta to a perfect al dente while Anna's mind swirled around the very potent word she'd almost said aloud before she'd even had time to consider its implications or even its accuracy. She was pulled from her thoughts when a loud crashing sound came from the direction of the garage and both Anna and Kaira looked at each other before going to investigate.

* * *

When Elsa hit the bottom of the stairs, she tired of moving at a human pace and raced over to see what Liv wanted. She entered the garage and headed to the southside where a large portion had been sectioned off into a home gym. Liv had already torn the box open and had scattered the pieces all over the floor as she thumbed through the assembly guide in an uninterested manner.

"Kai said you needed help?"

"Ah yes, young padawan," Liv said sagely. "The time has come to display your true nature. How you decide which way to proceed will say a lot about who you are. Instructions or no instructions? The choice is yours."

Liv held out her hands as if holding two trays - in one hand the instruction booklet and in the other a multitool. Elsa rolled her eyes at Liv's theatrics and immediately grabbed the booklet from Liv's right hand.

"Not using the instructions is a fool's choice," Elsa deadpanned.

"But a fun and intriguing fool," Liv said brightly. "I let you choose though. So we'll do it your way, miss proper prickly pants."

"You're running out of clever nicknames," Elsa scoffed. She started gathering pieces and laying them out on the gym mat, methodically assessing the manual as she did so. Liv tapped her toe on the floor as she waited for Elsa to give her some instructions, but her patience was running low tonight after the ordeal of having Westergaards visit their town without prior knowledge. She ran a restless hand through her curly blonde hair as she watched Elsa pick up a long metal rod, assess it against the thin booklet and then set it back down in another spot.

"What in Nature's name are you doing?" Liv said, frustration finally getting the better of her.

"Laying out the pieces as they appear in the book," Elsa said unperturbed. She didn't even look up at Liv and just continued to grab piece after piece and lay it out accordingly.

"Are you serious, Els? That's going to take forever. Let's just start at step one."

"There's the easy way and the right -"

"I'm not in the mood for Kai's drabble tonight," Liv snapped. Elsa raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything further. There was no reasoning with Liv when she got into one of these moods. Elsa didn't blame her though. It had been a trying afternoon for all of them. "Which pieces do I need for step one?"

"Double G, K, and the screws from bag four," Elsa said.

"Okay. Where are those?"

"I haven't gotten to sorting them out yet."

"Ugh, just describe what they look like."

They continued this way for some time. Elsa helping Liv pick out the correct pieces from the dwindling pile and directing her on the proper assembly. Her mind wandered multiple times to the conversation she'd had earlier with Anna. She was surprised that Anna had taken it all so well. Elsa had been afraid that, knowing what her fate might be, Anna would run away. And Elsa wouldn't fault her, it was probably safer if Anna did leave her. But to her surprise, and elation, Anna was still here, standing by Elsa with resolve.

 _What would I ever do without her now?_ Elsa thought. And it was a scary realization to come to. For so long, it had just been Elsa and her big sisters, but that had been more than enough for her. Now there was this other person, a mortal of all things, that Elsa couldn't imagine being taken away from her. Despite only knowing each other for a short time, Elsa couldn't help but think that she had always been destined to meet Anna. Their inexplicable, tangible bond was proof of that. And that bond was growing ever stronger. Elsa could now sometimes call upon it if she concentrated solely on the invisible string that tied them together, and it let her know where Anna was even further apart than before. Elsa even suspected that Anna was aware of the unseeable connection.

 _But what does it mean?_ Elsa had asked herself this countless times over the last few months, but could never come up with an answer. However, Elsa had a new suspicion following the conversation in her parent's bedroom.

"Hey, Liv?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah?" Liv said. She frowned as she tried to coax a stubborn screw into a hole that the instruction manual swears it's supposed to fit into.

"How do you…" Elsa began, but faltered. She took a steadying breath. "How do you know if you're in love?"

That got Liv's attention immediately, and her head snapped up to look at her younger sister in shock, dropping the uncooperative screw in the process. Elsa frowned a little; Liv wasn't generally one to get flustered.

"How do… I don't… You should probably ask Kai about this."

Elsa bent down and picked up the errant screw, handing it back to her sister. "You know why I can't ask Kai."

Liv looked at Elsa thoughtfully and then nodded. "I wouldn't know, really."

"You dated a couple of boys while you were in college though," Elsa said.

"But I don't think I loved any of them. It was always short lived because they just never felt...right? I was always kind of over it before it ever really began, so love was never really on the table. Does that make sense?"

"Not at all." Elsa frowned deeper. She checked the instruction manual to distract herself and grabbed the next part, handing it over to Liv once she finally got that troublesome screw in place.

Liv paused before the next step, considering her sister's question carefully once more. "I only know what I've seen. I think about what I remember about Mama and Papa, I look at Auntie Ari and Uncle Fred, and I feel like, when I have that, I'll know. Does that help?"

"I think so," Elsa said slowly and let the conversation drop for now as she thought over Liv's advice. As she continued to hand Liv part after part, she recalled the most loving relationships she could remember - her parents, her aunt and uncle, Raps and Eugene, even Kai and Erik before the incident. Elsa remembered the obvious things first - their complementary personalities, the easiness of their interactions, the physical affection. The more she considered it, the more she remembered the instances that made Elsa want what they had, or small interactions that made Elsa feel like she needed to look away because it was like she was intruding on a private moment. It was always the small things - a thoughtful gesture, an unspoken communication, a look of complete adoration when their partner wasn't looking back.

Something within Elsa swelled and she felt like, in that moment, Liv's assessment was much clearer. _Don't do anything rash, Elsa. Be sure first_ , she thought, talking herself down from barging into the kitchen and making a sweeping declaration before really doing any careful consideration. She gave herself a little shake to clear her head, and something silver caught her eye under the rowing machine. Elsa crouched down just as Liv jumped up onto her feet, dusting her hands off.

"Ta da! It looks marvelous," Liv declared as she stood back to admire their handiwork. It was a behemoth of a multi-use exercise machine. She reached up and grabbed the pull up bar and started doing a few reps just as Elsa straightened up, having retrieved the loose item. Elsa frowned at the large silver dowel and checked the assembly manual.

"Uh oh," Elsa said. Not one second later, a loud crash startled her as the pull up bar that Liv was hanging from came undone from the rest of the equipment. Elsa quickly ran over to her sister who was now lying prone on the matted gym flooring. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Liv said from her place on the floor. "I should have listened to you earlier. There's the _right_ way to do things."

Elsa burst with laughter, doubling over in mirth just as the door leading back into the house opened. Kaira and Anna had obviously heard the loud noise and had come to see what happened, but one glance at the situation told the whole story. Anna immediately giggled, but Kaira graciously did not join the two teens in their laughter. She knew that Liv was already upset with her from earlier.

"It appears I should have let Anna help you," she said as she walked over and offered Liv a hand to help her up. Try as she might, Kaira couldn't keep the small smile that spread on her face, but she remained composed otherwise. "Leave this for now. Dinner is just about ready. I made your favorite."

"Ravioli?" Liv asked, eyebrows shooting up and an excited smile replaced the disgruntled expression she had a moment before. Kaira nodded and Liv's smile softened into a grateful look before she gave her big sister a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, bigs."

"As I love you, smalls," Kaira said. "So, am I forgiven?"

"There was nothing to forgive," Liv answered with a smile. She started toward the kitchen, beckoning everyone to follow. "Now come on. I'm famished and ready to tear up some ravioli. I hope you made a ton, Anna bear."

"Told you she's a monster," Elsa whispered to Anna and nudged her with her shoulder as they followed the two older sisters through to the house. Anna took her hand and stopped, causing Elsa to stop as well and turn back to look at her.

"I just… I wanted to say…" Anna started. She stared in Elsa's bright blue eyes for a long moment before she totally chickened out. "I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful to have you in my life, Els."

Elsa smiled and lifted a hand to brush along Anna's jawline with the back of her fingers, tracing from the point of her dainty chin to her ear, memorizing the shape and angle and warmth. She allowed her hand to settle on the side of Anna's face, the smaller girl's ear between her thumb and forefinger. The moment was reminiscent of their first kiss and Elsa leaned in to meet Anna's lips with hers. And like their first kiss, it was as if the world stopped around them, and in that second, Elsa knew she was sure. She ended the kiss and looked at Anna earnestly.

"As I'm grateful for you, love."


	18. The Sailing Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**06 March 2020**

"So we're still on for Oaken's after school?"

"Uh huh."

"And Liv said we'll leave bright and early tomorrow. I know you like to sleep in on the weekends, but I'll bring you a hazelnut latte, okay?"

"Sure. Sure."

"Oh, and I created an army of walking, talking snowmen. They are just the first part of my multi-tier plan for total world domination."

"That's nice."

"Anna! Snap out of it," Elsa said as she waved a hand in front of Anna's face. They had some free time after they had finished their chemistry experiment early, but Anna had been vacant for most of the day.

"Huh?" Anna said, blinking several times and then finally looking at Elsa with attentive eyes.

"Are you okay?" Elsa said, frowning and placing a hand on Anna's forehead as if checking for a fever. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"What? No, I'm feeling okay," Anna said as she waved her girlfriend's hand away, but Elsa looked skeptical. "I think I'm just in a funk is all."

"Why? I would think you'd be excited. Spring break starts in just a few minutes," Elsa said.

"That's just it though! It's _Spring_ Break and it's hardly thirty degrees outside. I still have to wear my parka!" Anna complained. "Spring is supposed to be warm and sunshiny and green… but it still feels like winter."

"I'd like to think you had become much more fond of the winter," Elsa said, raising an eyebrow suggestively and leaning in closely to her girlfriend. She pulled that smirk she knew Anna couldn't keep a straight face around. Sure enough, a blush soon bloomed on Anna's cheeks.

"I don't _not_ like the winter," Anna said, tearing her eyes away from Elsa in order to think coherently. "But I was really looking forward to _warm_ weather. Will I ever get to put my coat away?"

"Your winter coat, yes. Soon enough, for sure," Elsa said right when the bell rang and they both started gathering their things. Elsa waited for Anna to pull on that exact dreaded coat; she herself opted to remain in just her sweater since she was mostly immune to the chill. "But you, with your thin California skin, might always need a light jacket."

"Ugh," Anna grunted out and threw her backpack onto one shoulder as they made their way toward the student parking lot. Anna muttered small irritations under her breath when the cold wind greeted them and brown slush blocked their most direct path to Elsa's car. Elsa caught multiple obscenities with her enhanced hearing and she grabbed Anna's hand before she could get into the passenger seat.

"Oh come on, love. You have to admit there are some perks to winter weather," Elsa said, her half-smile making the single dimple on her left cheek form. She found Anna's pouty behavior amusing; her girlfriend made everything seem cute.

"Yeah? And what might those be?" Anna said indignantly, raising an eyebrow. Elsa responded by pulling Anna in very close and brushed the ginger bangs away from Anna's eyes.

"Winter is the perfect time for sitting by the fire with a good book and a cup of cocoa," Elsa said quietly. She ran a hand down the side of Anna's face from cheekbone to chin and tilted the shorter girl's head up slightly. "It's also a good time to stay in and cuddle with your super amazing, superpowered girlfriend."

Anna stood on her toes to take the kiss before Elsa could give it. She hoped she never got used to this feeling. Kissing Elsa was always like kissing her for the first time - butterflies in her stomach, warmth in her heart, and an electricity from that invisible connection they shared. They had finally discussed this unexplainable bond a couple weeks ago. They agreed it was strange, but neither of them could bring themself to worry about it. It seemed more like a blessing than anything sinister, and they silently decided that it wasn't a cause for concern.

The subject had come up after they had both said those three little words to each other for the first time. It wasn't some grand romantic affair, but a rather simple, yet still perfect, one. It was a few days after Anna had learned about the history of the Snow Queen. They were in Anna's room lounging in the alcove seat under the window, Anna propped up against the pillows reading a book and Elsa's head in her lap while she thumbed through one of Iduna's many baby albums of Anna growing up. Anna was absently running her fingers through the blonde's hair when she suddenly gasped.

" _What?!" Elsa said, jumping up and looking out the window in search of the threat. When she didn't find anything, she turned to Anna. "What is it?"_

" _I just remembered there was something I have to tell you." Anna looked at her for a brief moment, the expression on her face spoke of a fierce determination, but it fell quickly into an easy smile. "I love you."_

" _Oh," Elsa responded, voice an octave higher than usual and raising both eyebrows in surprise. She picked the photo album back up and settled back into the space she was before Anna had startled her. After she found the page she'd left off on, a two year old Anna covered in Spaghetti Os, Elsa looked up to Anna's expectant face. "I love you, too."_

_Anna smiled so widely her cheeks hurt. She bent down and kissed Elsa gently, a soft chaste kiss that conveyed their mutual love with delicacy and lingered with an unspoken intent. Then, as though the milestone was as natural to them as breathing, they went back to their quiet activities without pause._

"Okay, I agree," Anna said after she pulled back from their kiss. "Winter definitely has its perks, and I'm ready for one right now."

"Cuddling?" Elsa said hopefully.

"Cocoa!" Anna gave Elsa another quick peck on the lips before she hopped into the car. Elsa just shook her head with a smile and followed her girlfriend's lead.

"You are dangerously adorable. Do you know that?" Elsa said as she slid into the driver's seat and turned the car on. She grinned at Anna, giving her a sideways glance.

"Oh, I am very aware of how adorable I am. That's _my_ superpower," Anna responded, batting her eyes at the blonde and leaning over the center console toward her. Unable to resist, Elsa leaned in and gave Anna a drawn out kiss. Anna was the one to end it and leaned back very slightly with a mischievous smile. "See what I mean?"

"Yes, and a very potent power indeed," Elsa said, blinking several times trying to gather her wits, but with futility as Anna was still so close. When Elsa could finally think straight, she narrowed her gaze playfully at Anna. "Hasn't anyone ever told you to never use your powers for personal gain?"

"That does sound vaguely familiar, but consequences be damned," Anna said. She leaned in for one more kiss when they were interrupted by a knocking on Anna's window. Both girls started and turned to see Raps' smiling face. Elsa sighed while Anna rolled the window down.

"You two are too cute. Stop it. I want to vomit," Rapunzel said in a deadpan voice, half seriously and half in jest.

Anna giggled at her best friend. "What's up, Raps?"

"I just got a call from my mom," Raps replied. "She's at Kai's office and wants us to meet them there, Els. Something about the Founders' Day Festival next week."

"Right now?" Elsa whined.

"Yup! I was told it wouldn't be long, so you can resume your cocoa date after. Eugene and I were going to go skating so he said he'd keep Anna company until we're done at City Hall. Which means it's time to switch seats, Anna bear," Raps said as she opened the passenger door to take Anna's spot.

Anna turned back to Elsa and gave her one more quick peck on the lips before she got out of the car. "I love you like the ocean loves the shore."

"Till the seas rise and tides return no more," Elsa said back.

"Bleeehhh," Rapunzel exaggerated as she mimed throwing up.

Anna laughed before she planted a quick kiss on her best friend's cheek and wrapped her in a bear hug. "Don't be jealous, Raps. I love you, too," she said before skipping over to Eugene's lifted Range Rover.

"Do I need to challenge you to a duel for my lady's hand?" Eugene asked jokingly as she literally climbed into the passenger seat.

"Only if you're desperate to be made a fool of," Anna said. "I may be small, but I'm feisty and I fight dirty."

Eugene guffawed as he pulled out of the parking lot toward the town center. Anna always liked hanging out with Eugene. They didn't spend too much time alone just the two of them, but it was always enjoyable - conversation was easy and they never had to hide secrets about their significant others. The drive to Oaken's was fairly quick and they spent most of the time discussing what they had planned for the break. Eugene was leaving with his parents tomorrow for a vacation to Maui and Anna was very jealous.

"Take lots of pictures and bring back some sunshine," Anna said as they walked into the diner.

"Pictures I can do. Sunshine… well, I'll try," Eugene said with a laugh. They waved to Oaken and Gustav as they walked in and chose a couple of squashy chairs around the fireplace that were situated around a round coffee table. "So, are you looking forward to sailing tomorrow with all the girls?"

"I dunno… the last time I was on the ocean I drowned…"

"That won't happen this time. Not when you're with all the Aren women," Eugene said confidently. "They, of course, have a way with the water. Especially Rapunzel's mom."

"I thought Auntie Ari's…" Anna glanced around for eavesdroppers, but the establishment was mostly void, save for an elderly gentleman sipping a coffee at the counter on the other side of the room. It was still early enough in the afternoon that most of the adults in town were still at work, and since Spring Break officially just started, most of the other kids were out and about or preparing for their family holidays. Regardless, she dropped her volume significantly. "I thought her power was reading people's auras?"

"Yeah, mostly," Eugene said. "But her attunement to the water is highly honed. She understands the tides and currents. With her in the boat, you'll never sail into rough waters. "

"Huh," Anna breathed out thoughtfully as Oaken ambled over with a tray.

"A root beer for the hockey hero and a hot cocoa for Miss Anna," Oaken said as he placed their normal orders in front of them. "Great game last week, Flynn. A very exciting end to the season. I am happy to see the Championship trophy back with Arendelle."

"Thanks, Oaken. Next up - bring back the lacrosse trophy before senior year is over," Eugene responded, holding up his stein of Oaken's homemade root beer above his head. He had scored the winning goal against Southern Isles High to win the hockey playoffs the week prior, and he was still riding the high of the accomplishment.

"Hear, hear!" Anna said, raising her cocoa mug to meet his glass, each of them taking a sip of their respective drinks after the gentle clink

"I am surprised to see you here without Miss Elsa," the large man said as he turned to Anna. Elsa and Anna had a standing date on days they had Chemistry together to stop in at Oaken's for cocoa and write up their lab reports together. Anna learned quickly that she didn't really need to order here. Oaken just knew what everyone wanted, or what they needed even if it's not what they expected.

"She had to go take care of something, but she'll be here," Anna said as she took another sip of the chocolatey beverage. "Flynn here is a temporary, though markedly adequate, substitute."

"I should have asked you to write my college recommendation letters instead of Mr. Dillamond," Eugene quipped, downing half of his root beer in two gulps. He cleared his throat and put on a formal voice. "Mr. Fitzherbert is adequate and inconsequentially ordinary."

Anna snorted and coughed as she nearly choked on her cocoa. Oaken shook his head as he laughed along politely before setting a plate of cookies on the small table between them and heading back behind the counter. The laughter faded and they each nibbled on a cookie before Anna looked at Eugene expectantly.

"I wanted to ask you something serious," Anna said.

Eugene smirked at her. "Go for it, but I'll have to warn you. This face is ridiculously attractive when I'm being serious." He let the smirk fall and he raised an eyebrow at her, puckering his lips slightly. Anna thought he looked like an inquisitive badger.

"Does that really work on Raps? I'm going to have to talk to that girl," Anna giggled and Eugene pretended to be affronted before he chuckled along with her. "But anyway - I've been with Elsa for a few months now, and I was wondering… Sometimes I feel like… Like she's just so…"

"Amazing? And you feel inadequate?" Eugene guessed. Anna smirked at him shyly and nodded. "Yeah, me too. I try not to because I know it's not at all Rapunzel's fault. She's just who she is, but sometimes I want to be the stronger one, the faster one, the one that's meant to protect her from danger. And it's not the fact that I'm a boy, I'd like to think I'm a feminist. The strongest people I know, both literally and figuratively, are all women. But people in a relationship should be equals, and sometimes she's just so…"

"Out of your league?"

"Completely," Eugene answered with a nod as he downed the rest of his root beer. Oaken popped over with another pint almost immediately. "Thanks, my man!"

Oaken nodded and Anna waited for him to return to the counter before continuing their conversation. "I just wish that I could save Elsa sometimes. I literally owe her my life. Our relationship feels so unbalanced."

"But you have already," Eugene said. When Anna gave him a skeptical look, he set his glass down and looked at her with an actual serious expression. "You don't really know what Elsa was like before you were in her life. I mean, you got a little glimpse of the 'Ice Queen,' but not really. You've helped her from the very first time you walked into the same room with her."

"You're exaggerating," Anna said, sipping her cocoa.

"Not at all," Eugene denied earnestly with a shake of his head. "I have a talent for reading people. I can anticipate what they're going to do, how they'll behave. It's not a 'gift,' I am completely a mortal after all, but I've always been good at understanding a person. It's what really attracted me to Rapunzel. Even as kids, she was like sunlight wrapped in a cute little blonde. She never did what I expected her to do, but she always chose to do what was right. She is everything that a good person could possibly be, and her gift is proof of that.

"Elsa was just like her when we were younger, if a little less open. Still though, inherently a good person. But after her parents died, she just… stopped living," Eugene said and picked up his glass again for another sip. He licked the foam from his lips before he continued. "I mean, she was alive obviously, but she made no attempts at actually _having_ a life. She paid no one except her family, and occasionally me, any mind. So it surprised me when, on your very first day, she watched you walk through the cafeteria with Kristoff and asked Raps about you."

"Neither of them ever told me that!" Anna said, shock evident on her face. "Elsa was so… cold to me when I first moved here though."

"Oh, well she didn't _want_ to like you, Gingersnap," Eugene said as he finished his second root beer. He laughed as he remembered Anna's early days. "Raps complained for weeks about how Elsa was being stubborn and that she should just get over herself and kiss you already. It was a relief to everyone around her when she finally did. And she's been a different person ever since."

"Making her a different person isn't exactly helping her," Anna argued.

"It is when it's a good different," Eugene challenged back. "You make her a better person, Anna. You saved her from herself."

Anna smiled at Eugene. This was their most honest conversation since the one in the Mayor's office after his fight with Hans at the rival hockey game. Usually he was Flynn Rider - the star hockey and lacrosse player that made light of most situations. Today he was Eugene, Rapunzel's insightful boyfriend that Anna was glad to call one of her good friends.

"You know you're strong too, Eugene," Anna said. "Maybe not as physically as them, but it takes a secure person to accept their world. Trust me, I'm the only person you know that can attest to that. You're exactly what Raps needs."

He smiled sincerely at her. "Thanks, Gingersnap."

"And stop calling me 'gingersnap,'" Anna deadpanned, but Eugene just laughed. She knew he wasn't going to stop, but she found that she didn't actually mind so much. The bell above the door jingled and they looked to the doorway to see their girlfriends walk in. Eugene got up and gave Raps a kiss as Elsa leaned down to steal one from Anna before she took Eugene's chair.

"Sorry that took so long," Elsa said as they waved goodbye to Raps and Eugene. "There was a whole thing about floral arrangements."

Anna giggled. "They needed both of you for a decision on what flowers to have?"

"Well Liv doesn't care, and Auntie Ari and Kai couldn't make a decision between the two of them," Elsa said in irritation. Oaken swept over, extremely graceful for such a large man, bringing Elsa a hot cocoa and replacing Anna's empty mug with a fresh serving. Elsa thanked him politely before she continued her story. "Eventually, I made a decision and everyone just went with it because no one else could come to one."

"And what did you choose?"

Elsa smiled because she'd picked Anna's favorite. "Sunflowers."

* * *

"Wake up there, Anna bear!" Liv called as they pushed off from the deck. "You have to be alert for sailing."

"Ugh. Is being a morning person an inherent River Born superhuman trait too?" Anna muttered to herself. She was woken up well before the crack of dawn per their request, and Anna was regretting it. The sun wasn't yet due to rise for several more hours. Elsa chuckled from her spot beside her.

"Just drink your latte, love," she said as she took hold of the rigging for the main sheet. "You can learn about sailing after the caffeine kicks in."

Elsa led Anna over to where Auntie Ari was standing by what Elsa called the tiller (Anna would have called it a steering wheel) and settled her in a seat before helping her sisters set sail. Apparently this seat was 'safe' as Anna was unlikely to fall overboard; though, the first thing Elsa made Anna do as she boarded the boat was put on a lifejacket.

"Have you ever gone sailing before, Anna?" Arianna asked her.

"No, this is my first time," Anna said. She took a sip of coffee both to wake her up and keep her warm in the cold ocean air. "I've been on plenty of boats, but not a sailboat."

"Well, you're in for quite a treat then. There's something both calming and exhilarating about sailing," Arianna said wistfully. She shifted her eyes from Anna to sweep around the deck. "And the girls work so well together."

Anna turned toward where Arianna was looking and saw that the other four on the boat were diligently working. It appeared that Liv was mostly in charge, calling orders to the others in terms that Anna didn't understand, but everyone else seemed to know this secret language and ran around doing Liv's bidding. Anna observed as everyone rushed about, sometimes inhumanly fast, grabbing ropes and turning levers. Liv called out something and Anna watched Elsa and Rapunzel quickly work together to unfurl the mainsail while Kai darted to a crank Anna hadn't noticed before.

"Boom!" Liv shouted and the other three swiftly ducked as the large metal arm that was attached to the sails swung across the deck. Anna realized then that Elsa had placed her in this particular seat for a secondary strategic reason. Where they were, both Arianna and she were completely out of reach from the swinging pole.

"Liv seems to be in charge," Anna said, turning back to Rapunzel's mom. "I would have thought it would be you or Kai."

"Oh no. While we all sail, Liv's the one that has the most talent for it. A boat this size usually takes at least four people to run, but Liv could probably do it on her own. She would have sailed competitively if it weren't essentially cheating, given our family heritage. She got the love for it from their father," Arianna said. Her smile faded a little as she continued. "My brother loved to sail. He was most comfortable out on the ocean. There wasn't a week of his life where he didn't spend at least one day out in one of our sailboats."

A melancholy washed over Anna as she listened to Arianna. The woman's sadness was so clear that Anna felt her heart go out to her.

"You miss him," Anna said quietly. "And their mother too."

"Every day." Arianna looked to her with a sad smile, then she sighed and swept the deck with her eyes once more. "But I see them in their girls. Each of them is the sum of the best parts of my brother and best friend. Those three keep the two I lost alive for me."

Anna let the conversation end there and continued to watch as everyone worked seamlessly to make the boat sail gracefully through the water. She sipped her coffee and listened to Liv's orders, trying to get a hang of what all the words meant. She was captivated by how they worked together and how they managed to make the boat do what they wanted almost effortlessly. About half an hour later, Elsa came to sit next to her. Anna had finished her coffee and was finally feeling awake so she was eager to learn and help.

"What do you think so far?" Elsa asked her.

"It's amazing," Anna said enthusiastically. "I think I've gotten a hang of some of the terms. I know port is left and starboard is right. The bow is the front and the stern is the back. When Liv says aft, someone usually walks toward the stern. And I know the difference between the mainsail and the headsail."

"Very astute, love," Elsa said and she gave Anna a quick kiss on the lips. "Ready to put your new knowledge to some use?"

"Heck yeah!" Anna said, jumping up to her feet. "I was born ready."

"Hm…" Elsa said thoughtfully. "I'll have to remember to get you a half-caff in the future."

"I haven't a clue what you mean. I'm feeling great. More than great really. I don't know if I've ever felt so _alive_ before," Anna said very quickly.

"Oh dear," Arianna said from behind Anna, but Elsa just laughed and pulled Anna along with her toward the bow.

"Alright, Anna bear!" Liv said when she saw her up and about. "It's about time. Finally feeling awake and alert?"

"Yup! Put me to work, Captain," Anna said and saluted the lively blonde.

"That's the spirit," Liv said with a chuckle. "Just stick with Elsa and Rapunzel. They'll show you what to do when the time comes. Well, at least until you crash from this caffeine high you've got going... What did you get her, Els? She's nearly vibrating with energy."

"Just a small latte," Elsa said, shaking her head as Anna bounced in place. "I see my mistake."

Anna followed Elsa and Rapunzel around the deck for the rest of the morning. They'd already reached open waters and had set a smooth course by the time she started helping so there wasn't too much that needed to be done, but Elsa and Rapunzel showed her all the different aspects of the large boat and what each lever, pulley, or rope was meant to do. Anna was pretty sure she wasn't going to remember most of it, but she was having fun. After almost four hours, the crash that Liv had mentioned started to overcome Anna, and she went back to sit with Arianna and Kai at the tiller. Anna yawned as she reclaimed her seat from before.

"Caffeine finally wearing off there, sweetie?" Kaira asked with a smile. Anna only nodded; it was taking great effort just to keep her eyes open. Kaira sat next to her and handed her a bottle of water. "Drink up. You don't want to get a headache."

"Too late," Anna said and then drained half the bottle of its contents. "I now understand why my mother doesn't let me have coffee."

Kaira chuckled. "It takes some getting used to, but you usually have so much energy anyway, I don't think you really need it."

"I have energy because I usually have a lot of sleep," Anna said with a smirk. "Sleep is magnificent. Elsa doesn't seem to need any sleep though."

"Oh, we all sleep. We just don't need quite as much of it."

"So I was right? Being a morning person is another perk you have being blessed by Nature?" Anna looked at her disbelievingly and Kaira smiled at her before she nodded. "Absolutely ridiculous."

Kaira laughed heartily and swiped Anna's bangs from her eyes. It was a futile effort as the ocean breeze only blew them right back into place. "You just need to eat. It's about time for lunch anyway. I'll tell Liv -"

"On it!" Liv shouted from somewhere by the bow. Anna looked up to see the sails lower and the boat slowed in its forward momentum.

"Help me with the table, would you, sweetie?" Kaira said motioning to a panel next to her. While the other four headed below deck, Kaira showed Anna how to swivel the chairs from along the edge of the slightly depressed section of the deck. Then they pulled a fairly sizable table from along the wall and propped it up. "That should do it."

"It's like a tiny home on the water," Anna said in wonder. Kaira chuckled and the others came up carrying coolers, plates and cutlery, and a large picnic basket. Soon enough, they were all settled around a gingham covered table and a veritable feast was laid out before them. "This is a lot of food."

"Liv," Arianna, Kaira, Rapunzel, and Elsa all said in unison. Anna smiled at the girl in question who just shrugged and began serving herself a plate of food. Everyone else followed and there was silence for a few minutes as they all ate.

"Do you all do this at the start of every Spring Break?"

"Yeah," Elsa said around a bite of her strawberry. "We don't get to sail a lot during the winter, but spring and summer are mostly spent out on the water. The first day of Spring Break marks our personal sailing season."

"How come Uncle Fred isn't here?" Anna asked and all the others started laughing.

"Daddy doesn't really have sea legs," Rapunzel explained. "Neither does Uncle Luke or my four little cousins. Getting any of them off the island is a… messy ordeal. I'm lucky enough to be half Aren."

Anna scrunched her nose as understanding came to her. "I guess I just assumed that all River Born were immune to trite human things."

"Every element has its weaknesses," Arianna said. "Remember it's all about balance."

"I am stuffed," Liv interrupted as she stretched her arms above her head. When she lowered them again, she grabbed a chocolate truffle and popped it in her mouth.

Anna giggled. "I thought you were stuffed?"

"That was the point of the stretch, Anna bear. To make room for chocolate," Liv said with a wink. "Now, I think we should do another lap around the island before we head back. There's plenty of time before sunset."

Everyone got to work. Anna helped Rapunzel's mom clean up the lunch and put the table away while the others started gearing up to continue their journey around the sea. Once everything was back down in the cabin, Anna joined the others with sailing the boat. She was feeling extremely accomplished. She'd gotten the hang of all the terms and now knew which ropes to pull and cranks to turn depending on Liv's commands.

"Olivia, the currents are a little choppy around the leeward side right now," Arianna called from her place behind the tiller. "We should take a wider turn on our way back to the docks."

"Aye aye, Auntie Ari!" Liv called. "We're turning into the wind, girls!"

Elsa and Rapunzel moved in tandem to adjust the mainsail. Liv started pulling hard on a rope that Anna had forgotten the purpose for while Kai jumped over to the port side and took hold of another lever. The boat made a sharp turn, tilting dramatically as it did, but none of the veteran sailors seemed worried. Anna looked over the edge, the angle of the boat so low on her side she could have easily skimmed her fingers along the surface of the water.

"Boom!" Liv called. Like before, everyone ducked, but Anna wasn't paying attention and was still looking over the boat's edge. "Duck, Anna!"

"Huh?" Anna turned in time to see the large metal arm attached horizontally to the mast come swinging toward her. It moved almost as if it were in slow motion; adrenaline pumping so high that Anna could count her heartbeats as the boom got closer to her. She ducked as fast as she possibly could, but it wasn't quite fast enough. The bottom of the pole grazed her across her left brow line, knocking her to the deck.

"Anna!" several voices shouted around her. The sound of fabric filled the air as the sails were lowered to stop the boat's momentum. She heard hurried footsteps racing toward her from all directions and she tried to open her eyes, but all she could see were stars. Anna made to sit up, but she felt hands on her shoulders.

"No, sweetie," Kaira's voice said from above her as Anna felt her head get gently laid into the eldest Aren sister's lap. "You should lie still. Let Rapunzel assess you first."

Anna was going to protest when a metallic smell hit her senses, like rust on a rainy summer day. Her stomach instantly began churning. "Ugh. I'm bleeding, huh? I can smell it… I'm going to be sick… Someone distract me, please."

"That was some quick moving at the end there, Anna bear," Liv's voice said quickly, a little more strained than usual if Anna was hearing it right. "I thought you were going to get knocked into the water for sure. You should try out for the track team if you can move that fast."

"I find something to trip over on perfectly smooth surfaces. I don't think that's the best idea," Anna said, keeping her eyes closed so she wouldn't see the blood. She heard everyone laugh lightly. Well, almost everyone. "Stop worrying, Elsa. I'm fine."

"How did you…"

"I know you," Anna said, cracking her right eye open to search for Elsa. It was a short search, her girlfriend was kneeling beside her. "And I can practically feel you panicking."

"Well, that was far too close for comfort," Elsa said sternly. "What am I ever going to do with you?"

"Keep me on hand?" Rapunzel quipped on Anna's other side. She felt a wet cloth wipe along the left side of her head and then dab at her eyebrow. Anna winced at the stinging and shifted her one eyed gaze to her best friend. "Anna's right - she is fine. Just this superficial cut, nothing to be concerned about. May I, Anna-boo?"

Anna nodded her approval and Rapunzel hovered a hand above Anna's wound. A glowing yellow light filled her left visual field as Raps began healing her head. The warmth from the healing touch spread from her left brow and traveled throughout the rest of her body until Anna felt like she was filling up with it. Suddenly, she felt a burst of energy emanated from her, startling all the Aren descendants and sending a large ripple out over the surface of the water.

"What was that?" Elsa asked and she took Anna's hand.

"I don't know," Rapunzel said, worry clear in her voice. "Are you okay, Anna? How are you feeling?"

Anna opened her eyes and looked around at all the expectant faces. She sat up slowly with the help of Kaira. "I think I'm okay. I mean, physically I feel fine…"

"But?" Elsa asked, drawing Anna's eyes to her concerned face.

"I'm just… I don't know… feeling a little anxious, I guess?" Anna said. Her chest was a little tighter than usual, and there was a peculiar buzzing sensation she wasn't used to filling her head, like she had too many thoughts for her brain to actually contain. "Maybe it's residual side effects from the coffee? Otherwise, I'm good."

"Great!" Liv exclaimed and she held out a hand to Anna to help her up. Anna released Elsa's hand and took Liv's. The concerning anxiety she felt melted away and was replaced with excitement as Liv pulled her to her feet. "We should get going if we want to make it back to port before nightfall."

When Liv let go of her hand, a sudden wave of unease cascaded through Anna. The feeling drew her eyes behind her and she caught Arianna giving her a strange look that she didn't know how to interpret. At first glance, Anna read suspicion, but she shook off the thought. Deciding it was more likely a look of concern, she sent Rapunzel's mom a smile. Arianna smiled back, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes as those green orbs flickered over her shoulder. Anna followed her gaze and noticed that Kaira's eyes were locked on her aunt. She wondered what they were talking about, but took a stab at a guess.

"I'm feeling fine, really," Anna said. "We don't have to concern my mother."

Kaira looked at her and Anna saw the tightness in her eyes. Anna knew in that moment that Kaira and Arianna were going to tell her mother what had happened despite anything that Anna might try to say to reassure them that she was just okay.

"We know you're fine, sweetie," Kaira said, her smile becoming more gentle. "We trust Rapunzel's assessment, but your mother still needs to know."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Anna muttered with a sigh. Her mood lifted immediately when she felt a hand clap her on the shoulder. She turned to look at her best friend and she instantly felt at ease when Raps smiled at her brightly.

"Don't worry, boo," Raps said reassuringly. "I'm sure your mom won't freak out when she sees that you're unharmed."

Anna smiled back and then went about helping set sail again. Elsa, out of worry, stuck very close to her. She kept Anna within arms reach, much to Anna's irritation. While she usually loved having Elsa close and adored feeling protected by her, it was like Elsa's obvious anxiety was seeping into her mind. Her girlfriend's emotions were so strong, they were turning Anna's stomach. _Strange,_ Anna thought to herself. _I wonder if our connection is growing stronger._

The rest of the ride went smoothly, for the most part, but Anna was feeling more and more ill at ease. Each time Rapunzel passed close to her, Elsa's anxiety would fade into background noise, and a calming happiness would take its place. When Liv grabbed her shoulders to steady her on a particularly sharp turn, her excitement and elation shot up quickly. Anna's emotions were so out of order, she was growing fatigued. The turbulent mood changes grew worse as they got closer and closer to shore. Her emotions flitted through fear… anger… disgust… sadness… joy… round and round until Anna became so overwhelmed, she could barely think.

When the docks came into clear view, the storm of emotion became staggering and unbearable. She sank to the floor and pulled her legs to her chest. Anna rested her forehead on her knees and wrapped her arms around her head, interlocking her fingers behind her neck. Crushing despair… joyous ecstasy… unbridled rage… it was too much. She couldn't take it.

"Anna, what's wrong?" Elsa's voice came from very close to her. Anna felt cold hands grab her arms. Anxiety… panic… her chest burned. Her stomach rolled. Her head buzzed.

"Please don't touch me," Anna whispered, but her voice felt too loud. Envy… confusion… content… desperation… "Argh, make it stop!"

The voices of her shipmates erupted around her, but Anna couldn't focus. She couldn't hear them, everything was muffled under a weight of emotions that she couldn't navigate. She felt like she was drowning, pulled under a tumultuous sea of feelings. Weighed down and unable to keep her head afloat. Dejection… misery… guilt…

Calm.

Anna felt new hands on her, pulling her arms away from her head. She took a few deep breaths as her emotions finally settled down and the world started to come back into focus. She could feel the rocking of the boat beneath her, hear the sound of the waves that had been drowned out by her internal noise once more. Anna lifted her head and opened her eyes. The sight was astonishing. She was in a bright blue dome that seemed to be emanating from Arianna who was just outside the wall, arms extended in front of her with her hands spread wide. Anna could see the concerned faces of Elsa, Liv, and Rapunzel on the other side of the barrier. The only other person under the dome with Anna was Kaira.

"It's okay, sweetie," Kaira said in a soothing voice. "We're going to figure this out, but you're going to have to trust me. Okay?"

"What's happening to me?" Anna asked. It wasn't until her voice cracked that Anna realized she was crying.

Kaira gave her a sad smile. "Do you trust me?"

Anna looked into those dark, ocean blue eyes. The ones so similar to Elsa's. They were just as clear and just as expressive. Anna could feel small traces of worry buried underneath a heavy layer of calm. When she nodded at the blonde woman, Kaira put her hands on either side of Anna's head.

"Sleep now, little one."

And Anna succumbed to the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's the part for today. I'll probably post the rest of the current chapters tomorrow so that you have enough time to catch up for the new update on Sunday. If you're just now joining me on this adventure - Welcome! And be thankful you only have to live with this cliffhanger for about 24 hours :) ...or you know, you could go read it on FFnet if that's still too long.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Thanks to my awesome BETA! Until tomorrow.


	19. The Past Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**07 March 2020**

The salty ocean breeze. The sound of water lapping against the side of the boat. The way the hull of _The Lorelai,_ their late father's prized vessel, sliced through the sea.

Elsa was at peace. Sailing was one of her happy places. It calmed her and eased her anxieties. Sailing with her family always made a day on the water unequalled, but today was even better. Today, she got to share this joy with the girl she loves. The weather was perfect, at least to her. The chill was just right. The sky was cloudless and the sun shined brightly. The waters were calm, though they always were for them; especially when Auntie Ari was there to navigate them around the rougher currents. Everything seemed to be one their side making today a perfect day.

Elsa looked over her shoulder as Rapunzel and she tugged hard on the rigging for the mainsail. She smiled when her eyes fell on the cute little redhead looking out over the side of the boat at the ocean below them. Elsa could tell that her girlfriend was really enjoying their day out sailing, and that made her heart feel light with happiness. She couldn't wait until she had the opportunity to bring Anna out on her own sailboat, just the two of them.

"Boom!" Liv called. Elsa and Rapunzel hit the deck first as they were closest to the swinging shaft on the port side of the boat. The pole passed over them easily and she had started to straighten back up when she heard Liv shout again. "Duck, Anna!"

Elsa's heart stopped as her eyes darted once more to her girlfriend standing by the starboard side railing. The arm was closing in on her quickly. Even moving as fast as she could, Elsa knew she wouldn't reach Anna in time. She had a feeling not even Liv could, and she was both faster and closer to Anna. All Elsa could do was watch in horror as the arm swung at the girl. Then, in the blink of an eye, Anna was crouched low, much to Elsa's surprise. She'd moved quickly enough that the boom had just barely grazed her head as it completed its sweep over the deck.

"How did she…" Rapunzel gasped as everyone else on the boat shouted Anna's name. Elsa didn't wait to hear the rest of her question. She was already dashing across the boat to get to Anna, but Kaira had beat her there. Her older sister was already gently laying Anna's head in her lap so Elsa knelt on Anna's uninjured side.

"You should lie still. Let Rapunzel assess you first," Kaira said. Elsa looked up to see that her cousin was already on Anna's other side, gently tilting her head to the right to get a better look at the left brow.

"Ugh. I'm bleeding, huh?" Anna asked, her nose scrunching at the smell of her own blood and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "I can smell it… I'm going to be sick… Someone distract me, please."

"That was some quick moving at the end there, Anna bear," Liv's voice said quickly. Elsa looked up at her middle sister, the tightness in her voice wasn't something that Elsa was used to hearing from the usually casual girl. Liv was looking at Anna with a strange, calculating expression. "I thought you were going to get knocked into the water for sure. You should try out for the track team if you can move that fast."

"I find something to trip over on perfectly smooth surfaces. I don't think that's the best idea," Anna said and everyone laughed at her little joke, but Elsa was too stressed to even acknowledge the self deprecating humor. "Stop worrying, Elsa. I'm fine."

"How did you…"

"I know you," Anna said. Elsa glanced down and saw that Anna had opened one eye to find her, and felt a sense of relief when she looked into the single teal orb. "And I can practically feel you panicking."

"Well, that was far too close for comfort," Elsa said sternly. _How am I supposed to keep her safe when every little thing is apparently dangerous for her?_ Elsa shook her head dejectedly. "What am I ever going to do with you?"

"Keep me on hand?" Rapunzel quipped as she wiped away the blood with a cloth her mother had handed her. "Anna is right - she's fine. Just this superficial cut, nothing to be concerned about. May I, Anna-boo?"

When Anna nodded, Rapunzel hovered a hand above Anna's wound. Elsa watched as the familiar glow worked its magic. Then something strange happened - the glow began to travel. From Anna's forehead, it continued to move downward. Everyone's eyes moved to Rapunzel, but no one said a word. Even Rapunzel looked confused, but she continued to heal Anna of whatever it was she'd missed in her assessment. Once Anna was completely enveloped in the warm light, a pulse discharged from the petite girl and traveled out over the ocean.

"What was that?" Elsa asked and she took Anna's hand.

"I don't know," Rapunzel said. The worry was evident on her face. She moved her hands over Anna, reassessing her for injuries. "Are you okay, Anna? How are you feeling?"

Anna opened her eyes and sat up slowly. "I think I'm okay. I mean, physically I feel fine…"

Elsa squeezed her hand, anxiety increasing when Anna's sentence trailed off ominously. "But?"

"I'm just… I don't know… feeling a little anxious, I guess?" Anna said, but then she shrugged, obviously trying to ease everyone's concern. "Maybe it's residual side effects from the coffee? Otherwise, I'm good."

"Great!" Liv exclaimed, and she held out a hand to Anna to help her up. Elsa gazed up again at her sister when Anna let go of her hand. The strange look that Liv had earlier was gone, the most carefree sister easily dismissing the concern and quickly accepting Anna's self assessment. "We should get going if we want to make it back to port before nightfall."

Anna seemed to immediately relax once she was helped off the floor so Elsa tried to tamp down the tension in her chest and got to work helping with the sails.

"I'm feeling fine, really. We don't have to concern my mother," Elsa heard Anna say. She turned around and caught the look that both her aunt and eldest sister were sharing. Elsa frowned, it was obvious to her that they were having a quick, silent conversation, and her concern spiked once more. Both Kaira and Rapunzel tried reassuring Anna, but Elsa kept her eyes glued to her aunt. She saw how Auntie Ari was scrutinizing Anna differently than she had all day, like she was seeing the girl truly for the first time.

 _Kai,_ Elsa thought as loudly as she could. Her sister turned to her, and Elsa caught the tail end of a concerned look that Kaira tried to hide from her. _What's going on? Is there something wrong with Anna that Auntie Ari can see?_

" _There's nothing to be concerned about now,_ " Kaira projected. " _But we should get Anna home as quickly as we can._ "

 _I don't understand. Rapunzel said that Anna's fine,_ Elsa thought in response.

" _I'm sure it's nothing. Auntie Ari just has some questions for Iduna,_ " Kaira insisted. " _Don't fret, snowbug._ "

Elsa nodded, but tasked herself with remaining close to Anna regardless of her sister's reassurances. As they scurried about the deck, following directions that Liv periodically barked out or pulling on ropes and levers that Elsa inherently knew needed attention, Elsa watched Anna very closely. As time passed, it was clear to Elsa that Anna was getting more and more agitated. She kept rubbing her temples and pausing to take deep breaths. Whenever she tried to ask Anna if she was feeling okay, her girlfriend just shrugged off the question. The most honest answer she got out of Anna after about an hour was 'I'm not sure.'

"You're certain there's nothing wrong with Anna's head?" Elsa asked Rapunzel after she told Anna to sit down for a moment. It was clear that Anna was getting very fatigued.

"Positive," Rapunzel said lightly before she frowned. "Why? Did she say something?"

"No," Elsa said, glancing over at Anna just as she rubbed at her forehead with frustration. "She just seems a little… off."

Rapunzel shook her head. "Physically she's fine. Completely healthy."

Elsa nodded and headed back over to Anna. She gave Anna a quick kiss on the cheek which the girl didn't even seem to notice, becoming seemingly less and less alert with every passing moment. As the day neared its end, Elsa could feel herself relaxing every so slightly as they got closer and closer to the island. She thought that maybe Anna was getting cabin fever being on the boat all day and she'd begin feeling better once she was back on solid ground.

Just as the docks came into view, however, Anna suddenly sank to the floor, quickly curling in on herself as if trying to hold her body together. Anna grabbed her head and started muttering incoherently under her breath. Elsa's chest clenched in worry and she dropped to her knees next to Anna. She tried to get the girl to look at her by gently pulling at her arms, but Anna was surprisingly strong.

"Kai!" Elsa shouted in her sister's direction before she lowered her voice and directed the softer sound at her girlfriend. "Anna, what's wrong?"

"Please, don't touch me," Anna said in a desperate whisper. Elsa could hear the pain in Anna's voice and it opened a turbulent storm inside of her, but she let go. "Argh, make it stop!"

Elsa's heart broke as Anna began crying. She looked around desperately, completely at a loss for what to do or how to help her clearly distressed beloved. Everyone quickly gathered around the two girls, voices erupting in a panic.

"What happened?" Liv asked at the same time that Rapunzel spoke.

"But she was fine, I swear! I don't know what I did!"

"It's not you, Rapunzel," Arianna said to her daughter, placing a reassuring hand on the young girl's shoulder. She then turned to Kai. "What can you hear?"

Kaira closed her eyes in concentration. She stood still for a long moment, and they watched as Kai's eyebrows knitted closely together and her head turned this way and that as the eldest Aren sister focused on Anna's mind. Several agonizing minutes passed before her eyes snapped open and she looked back at their aunt. "So much. There's too much going on in her head. Her emotions are all over the place. She can't settle her thoughts at all."

"That's what I thought," Arianna said. Their aunt looked unseeingly into the distance and muttered to herself. "I was mistaken… I didn't think it a possibility."

"What is going on?" Elsa said hopelessly. "What's wrong with her?"

"There's nothing _wrong_ with her, darling." Her aunt turned her attention to Elsa. She spoke as calmly as she could. "I have my suspicions, but I cannot know for sure. We must bring her back to the house. I'll call Iduna to meet us there."

"Mama, she's suffering," Rapunzel whispered, tears in her eyes. Everyone turned to Anna and saw that Raps was right. The girl was rocking back and forth, mumbling disordered thoughts into her knees. Elsa looked back at her aunt with a pleading expression and Arianna glanced at the shore.

"We're getting close to town… All the people…" she muttered before looking at Kaira. "I'm going to shield her. You need to put her to sleep. A deep one - no dreams, no thoughts."

"Do you think that will help?"

"What other option do we have?" Arianna said sadly. Kaira nodded quickly and moved to kneel in front of Anna. The matriarch on board addressed her youngest niece. "Elsa sweetheart, you need to clear away."

"I can't leave her," Elsa said in desperation. She didn't know when she started crying, but she could now feel the cold wind drying the tears running down her cheeks.

"It'll be quick," Kaira said gently, looking at her baby sister with tenderness. "If you want to help her, listen to Auntie Ari."

Elsa nodded and dashed to stand next to her aunt. They all watched as Arianna's aura became visible around her. She swirled her hands first over her head and then in front of her, gathering the energy in a compressed ball before her, then she expanded her hands, stretching the energy mass as she did so. Arianna slowly pushed the sphere forward as it continued to grow until it encased Kaira and Anna in their own segregated space.

"What's happening, Auntie Ari?" Liv finally asked as they watched Kaira finally free Anna's arms from around the young girl's head. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but the look on Anna's face was tragic. It was clear to everyone on board that the girl was utterly distressed.

"When Rapunzel healed her cut, it appears she healed much more than that," Arianna said quietly. "I can see her aura fully now when I couldn't before. It's very bright. Blindingly so."

"What does that mean?" Rapunzel asked. Elsa was glad the other two were there. These were all things Elsa wanted to know but she couldn't find her voice to say them. Instead, Elsa just listened while she watched Kaira place her hands on either side of Anna's face.

"I only have my guesses, but I want to speak with Iduna first before I voice them," Arianna said with finality as she pulled her aura back in. Kaira had gotten Anna to sleep, and Elsa darted forward when her aunt let the barrier down, helping Kaira pick Anna up and settle her onto the bench that she had left Anna to drink her coffee when they'd first set sail that morning. "Stay with her, Elsa. The other three can get us back to shore."

Elsa didn't need telling twice. She gently lifted Anna's head and sat, laying it back down in her lap as she did so. She barely registered as everyone else began moving around her, or when the boat started its journey around the island again, or even when they docked. Elsa just looked at Anna, brushing her bangs from her closed eyes, tracing the girl's nose, lips, cheekbones. She whispered soft assurances in Anna's ear often; 'you're going to be okay,' 'we will fix this, I promise.'

Soon enough, Liv came over and looked at Elsa gently, almost as if asking for permission. Elsa nodded numbly and Liv picked Anna up, carrying her bridal style toward the large SUV they'd chosen for the day. Elsa followed slowly behind; her heart clenched as she watched Liv walking away with Anna in her arms. The girl looked even smaller than usual and with a frailty that the highly energetic girl didn't normally possess, and Elsa felt helpless. She was completely at a loss for what to do. She felt someone take her hand and looked over to see her cousin also looking toward Liv and Anna. Elsa knew that Rapunzel loved Anna too, not in the same way, but just as strongly and protectively as she herself did. Anna was the kind of person even the most miserly individual would have a hard time not caring about. Elsa gave her cousin's hand a squeeze as all the women piled into the vehicle.

* * *

Iduna was already in front of the Aren Manor when they arrived. She waved happily as they pulled up the driveway, but when Liv hopped out and quickly retrieved Anna from the third row of seats, Anna's mother became frantic. Arianna quickly went over to her friend, keeping her from getting in Liv's way as she carried Anna into the house.

"Let Liv get her inside, Iduna," Arianna said.

"What happened?" Iduna said in a panic.

"I think there's a lot for us to discuss," Arianna responded. Her expression and tone of voice brought Iduna up short. Arianna was firm and Iduna allowed her friend to lead her into the Aren home, following closely behind Liv.

Elsa felt herself get dragged along by her cousin, Rapunzel not having let go of her hand since they'd gotten off the boat. Elsa felt detached, like everything was happening around her but not to her. She watched as if through a spy lens, a third party observer to her own life, as Liv laid Anna on the large sectional in the media room and Iduna knelt beside her.

"She's red hot…" Iduna whispered as she put a hand on Anna's forehead. "Anna sweetheart, wake up."

"She cannot hear you," Kaira said with an unaffected tone. Elsa looked at her eldest sister with wide eyes. It was a voice she hadn't heard Kaira use in a very long time. Not since she'd told Erik to leave.

"Why? What's wrong with my daughter?" Iduna demanded. Kaira looked to her aunt and Iduna followed her gaze.

"This was the only way we could help her. She was overwhelmed by emotion. Other people's emotions to be exact," Arianna said, an almost business-like tone coating her usually affectionate voice. She watched Iduna's face carefully, searching for something that Elsa couldn't even fathom. "It appears your daughter is an Empath. Nature blessed her with a gift she was not aware of until now."

 _What?! Impossible,_ Elsa thought, jaw dropping slightly as her gaze darted quickly between the two mothers in the room. _How can Auntie Ari even think such a thing? There has to be some other expla-_

"But _you_ were aware," Kaira said suddenly, her tone now accusatory. She was frowning as she looked at Iduna intently, and her family knew she was delving into Iduna's thoughts. "But you yourself are not blessed. Explain."

"How… how could you know that?" Iduna said, barely above a whisper. Then it hit her, and Iduna's eyes went wide as she looked at each woman in the room in turn, lingering slightly longer on Elsa standing in the doorway before coming to rest once more on Arianna. "Because you, all of you, are like him."

"Like who?" Arianna asked. Iduna turned to her daughter and smoothed her bangs out as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"I can't. It's not safe," Iduna whispered.

"Like who?" Arianna pressed again. "Like her father? Iduna. Honesty, please."

"I should have never brought her here. How selfish of me," Iduna continued to whisper, shaking her head slowly. It was as if her words were meant for herself and not them. "She looks so much like him. I thought they would have known immediately when they showed up at the Institute."

Elsa's stomach dropped and her breath caught in her throat. She felt Rapunzel's hand tighten around hers in support, but Elsa couldn't help the ice that started to form near her feet as the room began to frost up around her.

" _Who_ is her father, Iduna?" Arianna questioned firmly. Iduna turned to her friend.

"Anders," she whispered. "Anders Westergaard."

"No…" Elsa let out in a breathless gasp. Her knees buckled and her head swam. She was hardly aware that Liv had rushed to her, scooping her up before she fell to the floor and then setting her on the other end of the long sectional sofa. There was a ringing in her ears as she felt the world collapsing around her. _This can't be happening. She can't be a -_

"Stay with us, snowbug. Keep it together. For Anna," Liv whispered in her ear as she pulled her younger sister into her lap. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut tightly and took several deep breaths. She thought of her happiest memories - her mother singing, Kaira teaching her to drive, baking that first batch of cookies with Raps, playing make believe with Liv. She cycled through her past for the warmest feelings, remembering as many as she could... sailing with her father... her first kiss with Anna... when Anna first told her she loved her...

"That's my girl," she heard Liv whisper to her again as Elsa felt the ice dissipate from her fingertips and the air around them warm back up.

"You're both safe here, Iduna," Arianna said, coaxing Iduna from her knees beside Anna and moving her to sit on the couch. Iduna stuck close to her daughter, lifting Anna's head into her lap. "Start at the beginning, please. We want to help Anna, but first we need to understand."

"I was very young when I first met Anders," Iduna began after a long, thoughtful pause. She met her friend's gaze. "I told you I grew up in Alaska, but I misled you to believe it was on the mainland. I'm actually from a small island not too far from here. Uldaria Isle, a part of the Fox Islands; my family has been there for generations.

"When I was fifteen, Anders and his father came to visit. His father was looking for information, a history of the people on our island or something. I don't really know. I was too young to really care then about adult matters. I was more interested in the cute boy," Iduna said, a distant sort of smile breaking out on her face. Then her expression fell a little and she looked down at Anna, running her fingers through her short, ginger bangs. "I was instantly smitten, but my parents didn't approve. A bit old fashioned, they expected me to marry a boy from the island. His father, Ragnar, came only the one time, never returning again when he came up empty handed, but Andy continued to visit me."

"Anders ran away when he was eighteen," Arianna said and Iduna looked back at her. "I remember his twin, Rorik, was very upset. I was close with them, but that was a long time ago."

"Like I said," Iduna continued, nodding in acknowledgement. "My parents didn't approve. They threatened to send me away. So Andy and I ran off together once we were both of age. We moved to California, hiding within its large population. We worked our way through community college and then University. I waitressed and he did construction. We got married, and when we had Anna, it was like I'd gotten everything I had ever wanted.

"I was nearly done with my thesis by then, and Andy was two years into Law School. And our Anna was so perfect, such an easy baby for our first," Iduna said and she smiled sadly down at her sleeping daughter. Iduna's brow furrowed; the situation was slightly amiss. "She doesn't usually sleep so still."

"I asked Kaira to make sure she was in very deep," Arianna explained. "To shield her mind from all the other people on the island."

Iduna nodded and looked around at all the other girls once more. She'd almost forgotten that they were there, everyone was so quiet. Elsa was still perched on Liv's lap on the opposite end of the couch, and Rapunzel had moved to sit next to them, her hand taking home one of Elsa's once more. Kaira hadn't moved from her position, leaning against the wall between this room and the garage. Everyone was looking at Iduna intently, riveted by her story.

"I didn't know about that part of him. I had heard stories growing up, but I didn't believe any of them. It was too fantastical; a people given powers by Nature herself. I couldn't see past my own narrow logic to find the truth behind the folklore," Iduna admitted. "It wasn't until Anna was six months old and she'd somehow set the living room carpet on fire did he finally tell me. She was barely standing at the time, there was no way she could reach the candle I had burning up on the shelf, so he couldn't explain it without telling the whole truth.

"Then, as we neared her first birthday, Andy started to suspect that Anna's powers were more than what he called fire manipulation. His gift let him see that, and I noticed it a little too. She was a sympathetic crier, she'd get frustrated when I would be mad at her father, little things like that," Iduna said, tears forming once more in her eyes. "One day, I cut my finger when I was cooking, and I heard her start crying in her crib. I washed up quickly and went to her. She held up the same finger as the one I'd cut like it was hurting her. She had felt my pain from the other side of our apartment. That's the first time Andy used the term Empath."

"So how come she seemed mortal until now?" Everyone looked at Elsa, and she was surprised herself to realize that she had voiced the question.

"Andy said that there was a history regarding Empaths in his family. He didn't say it outright, but I knew he was afraid. He said that if his family found out about Anna, they would take advantage of her gifts," Iduna explained, speaking directly to Elsa. "So, he wanted to hide us, relocate somewhere that even his most trusted brother, Rorik - the only one he'd kept in contact with, wouldn't know where to find us. But he needed help to do it.

"He contacted Rorik and planned to meet him. We needed fast funds to disappear, and Rorik was the surest way to get it. I begged him not to go, I had a bad feeling about it. He'd renounced his family when he ran away, took my name instead when we'd gotten married. If his less understanding brothers got a hold of him, I knew he'd be in trouble," Iduna said, the tears now running steadily down both cheeks. "But he insisted. Said that he needed to do this to protect our family. Still, he took his precautions with us. He used his gift to bind Anna's powers to make it easier for me to hide with her and gave me a timeline. If he didn't return within two weeks, I was to run and leave no trace of where we'd gone… I waited three weeks."

"That explains her aura," Arianna said. Iduna looked at her with a confused expression. "That's part of my gift, seeing people's auras. Anna's didn't seem to fit her. She's loving, kind, and extremely spirited. I would have expected it to be brighter, vibrant with colors, but her aura was so dim and muted. To see such a dull aura on quite the lively girl was flummoxing. It was the binding that Anders put on her. I'd seen him use it before, but I didn't consider it possible with Anna because I know Anders died on that trip back here. I went to his funeral."

"It's held strong for almost fifteen years. What happened to it now?" Iduna asked.

"I think two things were at play," Arianna started. "First, I think due to both time and Anna's new proximity to Ahtohallan, Anders' lingering binding began to deteriorate. I could already see the cracks before today. I just attributed it to her growing relationship with Elsa. My niece's aura is the only one I've seen to match Anna's in brightness, you see. I thought she was simply rubbing off on Anna."

Iduna looked at Elsa and gave her a small smile, but Elsa couldn't find it in her to return it. Iduna looked back to Arianna with questioning eyes. "And the second thing?"

"There was an accident on the boat today. Anna was injured," Ariana said carefully. She held up a hand when it looked like Iduna was going to interrupt. "She's fine. Rapunzel has quite a remarkable gift. She's a healer. She quickly healed the small cut Anna had gotten, but something strange had occurred. Rapunzel's healing light encased Anna's whole body, something that's never happened before. I believe Rapunzel removed what was remaining of the binding. Anna was always meant to be who she is now, and Nature made it so through Rapunzel's gift."

"Is there a way to put it back?"

Arianna was taken aback. She frowned at her friend, unwilling to believe she would suggest such a thing. "Back? And deny Anna of her gifts? Nature chose these for her for a reason. You want to keep that from your daughter?"

"Even as a baby I could see how her empathic abilities affected her," Iduna said defensively. "You said it yourself that she became overwhelmed with the emotions of others today."

"Because she doesn't know how to control it yet. She hardly knows herself now," Arianna argued back. "Everything she thinks she is is all pretense. Once Anna understands her abilities, she will learn to control them."

"And if she can't?" Iduna asked in frustration and worry.

"Nature never gives you a gift you cannot handle," Kaira said quietly, and all eyes turned to her. "And Nature never presents something to us that we are unable to deny. If Anna wishes, she can give up her powers."

"Does that happen often?" Iduna's tone was hopeful. There was still a chance to save her daughter from her husband's grim predictions.

"None that are written down in our histories," Arianna said factually.

"But there is a chance that Anna might still choose to," Iduna said, not questioning it at all. She would make her daughter see reason.

"Only a fool would refuse a blessing from Nature," Kaira said, her voice and body language leaving no room for argument. "And Anna is no fool."

Iduna looked at Kaira for a long moment before she sighed in defeat. "Then we must go. Now. How long until she wakes?"

"I can keep her in this state indefinitely," Kaira said.

"Good," Iduna said as she stood up. "That gives me time to get everything in order."

Elsa felt a sudden panic, the first to understand the implications of Iduna's words. No matter how complicated the situation was now, no matter what this new information meant, Elsa knew once thing for certain - she couldn't let Anna be taken away from her. She slid off Liv's lap and took two steps to Iduna. "You can't just leave. Anna belongs here."

Iduna turned to Elsa and sighed, conflict clear in her deep blue eyes. "I know how much you care for my daughter, Elsa, but it's too close to the Westergaards here. When I thought Anna's powers would never manifest, I didn't worry as much, but now that they have… Kaira is right. There's no way Anna will give up her powers, but I will not let Andy's awful brothers take advantage of her."

Elsa gathered herself to argue, but was stopped short when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see that Kaira had finally moved away from the wall.

"Leaving is not necessary. Anna is perfectly safe here in Arendelle," Kaira said to Iduna. "I had taken the liberty of formerly placing Anna under my protection when her relationship with Elsa became undeniable. Under the current treaty, a Westergaard cannot touch her without provoking retribution; even if she is herself a Westergaard by blood. If she chooses to remain a ward to the Aren family, that is."

Elsa's head snapped around to look at Kaira. The youngest sister hadn't even considered that option until now. _Would Anna want to join the enemy now that she knew she was one of them?_

"Anna wouldn't do that to us," Rapunzel said, speaking for the first time since they'd gotten back to the Manor and unknowingly answering Elsa's internal dialogue. She looked around at everyone when they turned to her, the tips of her ears growing red under the scrutiny, but she pushed through to her point. "She loves Elsa. Their bond… Anna would never choose the Westergaards. I just know it… Back me up, Els."

Elsa looked at her cousin's large, emerald green eyes and thought it through. Yes, Anna loved her. That she was still certain of; their bond told Elsa that. But there were so many factors to consider. "You know as well as I do that Anna always wished to know her father. Those are answers we cannot give her, but they can."

Rapunzel's cheeks turned pink and a deep furrow dug between her eyebrows as the girl's anger suddenly rose. "How can you even think she'd choose strangers over us? Over _you_?"

"They're her family, Raps."

"Family is more than blood, Elsa," Liv chimed in. "You know that."

"There's no point in arguing," Kaira said firmly. "That choice is up to Anna, and until we can wake her up, she will remain under our protection. And we cannot wake her until we know how best to help her."

"Okay!" Liv said, jumping up to her feet, eagerness pouring out of her. "So what's the plan?"

The eldest sister looked to her aunt for help, and everyone else in the room followed suit. Arianna glanced at Anna. "I'm not sure. This power is beyond my understanding," she said and she looked back at Kaira. "I think you're the best equipped to help her, Kai. You have the closest experience to this. Your telepathy manifested suddenly after your parents' deaths."

"I got a look into her head before I put her into the slumber. It was like a labyrinth of emotions. I wouldn't even know where to begin navigating it. She's also very powerful, more than I think any of us realize. I don't know if I'm equipped to help her," Kaira said, visibly deflating. Any hope Elsa felt began to dwindle at her big sister's dejection and she sank to sit on the coffee table she was standing in front of, head falling into one of her hands. After a moment, Elsa felt a hand under her chin and let her head be lifted to see Kaira leaning down to her level. "That does not mean I won't try, snowbug. I love her, too. We will find a way to help her."

Elsa smiled at her sister, tears that she wasn't aware had welled up in her eyes spilled over and blurred the edges of her vision. Kaira reached up as if to swipe the tears away with her thumb, but froze. Her head tilted, hearing something the rest of them couldn't and Kaira straightened up quickly, angling her body to the door.

"Who is it, Kai?" Liv asked, but her sister didn't answer her. Kaira's chest heaved and her brow furrowed deeply. Everyone jumped when the doorbell rang, and Liv went to answer it.

"No," Kaira said suddenly in a hard voice, coming to her senses. Liv stopped and looked at her questioningly, but Kaira was already moving. "I'll get it. Elsa, stay near Anna."

Kaira took a deep breath as she paused with her hand on the doorknob, Liv standing directly behind her. When Kaira finally pulled the door open, Liv gasped in shock.

"Hey, Kai," a man's voice came from the doorway. Elsa thought the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it. "It's good to see you."

Kaira let the door fall open all the way and Elsa immediately dashed forward, putting herself in between the two visitors and Anna. She felt Rapunzel take a defensive position at her side and watched as Liv took a menacing step toward the two men in their entryway, but Kaira put an arm out to stop her.

Standing in the doorway, like two ominous pillars, were Rorik and Erik Westergaard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not uploading these yesterday, but here they are: Chapters 19-23


	20. The Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

_Three sisters stood side by side between two large stone monoliths listening to their aunt speak about their parents._

_It was unseasonably cold for July. Although the unprecedented blizzard that had rolled through four days ago had passed, the chill remained and much of the snow could still be found in the less frequented areas of the island. The unexpected snow storm covered the entire town in ice and forced the citizens of Arendelle to seek shelter from the extreme temperature change and simply wait for it to pass. Not everyone in town was so lucky, however. The beloved Mayor and his wife had been out sailing when the swirling snow front hit their shores. Their boat was capsized by the unforgiving waves, leaving three young daughters orphaned._

_At least, that's what the town was told._

_The River Born knew better. Agnarr and Lorelai Aren had been killed, two more casualties in a generations-long feud between the families. Erik Westergaard had shown up at Aren Manor on that fateful night to bring home the bodies of the two parents. He wouldn't tell them what had happened, but the Arens and Coronas had no doubt who was at fault - Lars, the eldest of the Westergaard brothers._

_The youngest of the three newly orphaned girls was inconsolable, and the biggest blizzard to ever hit the island of Arendelle tore through the island town with the small girl at its epicenter. Elsa curled into herself as the swirling storm within her raged throughout their home. It expanded to the rest of the island and reached the shores of the neighboring isles. Winds howled, ice coated everything, and two young women held their baby sister in hopes that she would stop the ice storm. But the girl was unreachable. She saw nothing but white swirling hail, felt nothing but the ice in her veins, heard nothing but the roaring of the wind in her ears._

_The storm had raged on for two days when a voice started calling to Elsa. The young child was lost in her own grief and guilt and she couldn't navigate through the chaos that rampaged within her, but a soft voice had come to find her, a voice she recognized._

"Come back to us, Elsie, _" Kaira's voice called out to her from somewhere within her mind._ _"_ Liv and I are still here, and we miss you. Please, little snowbug, come home. We love you. _"_

_When Elsa found her way out of the maze she'd created herself in her own head, walls built high with grief and anger and turmoil, she found herself in a tight hug upon someone's lap. Kaira was on her knees directly in front of her, both hands on either side of Elsa's head and eyes shining with tears._

" _There she is," Kaira had whispered, an encouraging smile on her face._

" _How did… When did you learn to…" Elsa heard Liv whisper. She turned to see that the arms holding her belonged to the middle of the three sisters. Liv was crying, but she looked at their big sister with wonder._

" _I don't know," Kaira said, shaking her head, but not taking her eyes off of Elsa. "I just knew Elsa needed us to find her… Welcome home, snowbug."_

_And Elsa broke. She hadn't cried yet until that point, only lost herself in her own head, but now the young girl let it go. Elsa felt the arms around her tighten and she turned her head to see Liv sobbing with her, both out of joy that her baby sister had broken free from the prison of her own mind and out of sorrow of knowing that all they had left in the world was each other. Kaira slipped her arms around both of her younger siblings and they cried together until they fell asleep in each other's arms as the ice that covered every part of their home began melting away._

_Now, two days later, they were supporting each other again as they laid the bodies of their parents in their final resting place. Elsa stood between her two older sisters, not really hearing the words that her aunt was speaking. The entire town had come out to pay their respects to two of their most beloved citizens, but Elsa was just focusing on not burying the town in another snow storm. She closed her eyes and concentrated on thoughts of love - her sisters, her cousin, her parents. Kaira had helped her understand how to control the storm that was still brewing inside, and Elsa tried to beat down her sorrow with love._

_Suddenly, she felt hands under her armpits and she was lifted up into someone's arms. The funeral had ended and everyone was headed home. Elsa could tell from the smell of cedarwood and cinnamon that it was Liv carrying her. Without opening her eyes, she wrapped her legs around her sister's waist and then buried her face in the crook of Liv's neck. She allowed her big sister to carry her from the family plot through the woods and back to the house._

_When they entered the Manor, Liv set Elsa down on a bar stool and the youngest sister finally opened her eyes. Tears instantly welled as she looked around the familiar kitchen. Her eyes eventually found her two big sisters. They appeared to be in the same state of ruin - there were just too many memories in their home. Their aunt started boiling water to make tea, or maybe to just keep her hands busy. No one spoke, there was nothing they could say anyway. Soon enough, the back door opened and their uncle walked in followed by Erik._

" _The town is planning a celebration of life tonight in the town square," Erik said quietly. "They want to invite you all, but they understand if you choose to be together on your own."_

" _Thank you, Erik," Auntie Ari responded. He nodded and turned to take a seat at the counter next to Liv, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder._

" _Can I speak with you?" Kaira asked him, all emotion and inflection absent from her usually calm and nurturing voice._

" _Kai, you don't have to do this," Liv said before he could respond._

" _This doesn't concern you, Olivia," the eldest sister responded, voice still monotone and entirely unaffected. The tone gave Elsa goosebumps, a new sensation for her since she was so immune to feeling physical cold. Kaira turned back to Erik. "A moment, please?"_

" _What is it, Kai?" Erik asked warily. He looked at Liv, but she averted her gaze quickly. Erik looked back to Kaira. "Should this be a private conversation?"_

_Kaira looked around the kitchen quickly. Elsa saw a steeliness in her eyes she had never seen her sister have before. Her big sister took a quick breath and shook her head._

" _Actually, no. I don't think that will be necessary," she responded robotically. She looked down at her left hand, and without hesitation, pulled off the beautiful diamond ring that adorned her finger and held it out to him. Erik shook his head._

" _No," he said, voice breaking with emotion. "Liv is right. You don't have to do this to us, my love."_

" _I cannot marry you. Not anymore. Not after what has happened," Kaira said._

" _This doesn't have to come between us," he lamented._

" _It already has," Kaira said, her voice showing a tinge of emotion now. It spoke of anger and sorrow and hurt. It was a voice that Elsa wished her oldest sister would never use again. "I can't look at you and unsee all of this. I can't think of you and not think of how they're gone. It's done, Erik."_

" _Don't do this, please," Erik said. He stepped up to her now and reached out, taking her extended hand, ring and all, into both of his and he looked at her pleadingly. Kaira kept all emotion off her face and looked at him with a cold, blank stare. Erik obstinately held her gaze with resolve. "Tell me you don't love me."_

" _What?"_

" _I won't accept this. I can't. Unless you can actually say the words, I will fight until there is no hope left," Erik said determinedly, so sure of the outcome. "So, say it. Tell me you don't love me anymore."_

_Kaira's mask fell slightly, emotion quickly flashing across her face, but she schooled it immediately._

" _I do not love you anymore, Erik Westergaard."_

* * *

"Erik," Kaira said, tone low and threatening. She took a step to her right, putting herself in between her sister and the two unwelcome guests standing on their front porch. "You better have a good reason to be here. You are in clear violation of the treaty."

"As it so happens," Erik said amiably. "We're here for the girl."

"I will _rip_ you to pieces before you even get close," Liv said, her voice so menacing it was nearly a growl. She rolled up the sleeves of her flannel before taking a more offensive stance.

"Erik, please. Get on with it," Rorik said calmly.

"It's been almost nine years, brother. Give me a break."

"I will give you one chance to get off our land. Leave now and do not bother us or Anna and her mother again," Kaira said firmly. She made to shut the door, but Erik shot a hand out to stop it.

"Parley," Erik said, not taking his eyes off of the older sister for one moment. "Please, Kai. Hear us out. We're here _for_ Anna. To _help_ her."

Kaira hesitated. She looked into Erik's dark green eyes for a moment before she tore her gaze away, looking at Rorik instead. Elsa knew instantly, from the tilted position of her sister's head and the stillness with which she stood, that Kaira was searching Rorik's mind, likely looking for any signs of ill intent. A second later, the eldest sister rolled her shoulders back and appeared to relax.

"Kai! You can't possibly tell me you're considering it," Liv exclaimed, skepticism affecting her voice and posture. "Don't tell me you _trust_ them!"

"Of course I don't trust them, but they asked for a parley. We are bound to grant them one," Kaira said angrily, rounding on her sister. She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. Liv waited, knowing this typical mannerism from her big sister meant she was puzzling through her thoughts, considering every scenario. Finally, Kaira met Liv's eyes once more. "They aren't here for a fight and they aren't here to take Anna. That much I do know. Trust _me_ , please, smalls?"

Liv searched her sister's face for a moment. Knowing that it was pointless to argue, she darted to the kitchen, grabbed two bar stools, and placed them in front of the media center all within a two second span. She then stationed herself between the stools and the three teens before she nodded at Kaira. Arianna stood from her place beside Iduna on the couch and joined Liv as Kaira led their two unexpected visitors to their figurative interrogation chairs.

"I love what you've done with the place," Erik said lightly as he walked in, looking around at the refurbished interior. "Ultra sleek and modern, but still homey. Your design, Elsie?"

"Yes. It was necessary after the damage my storm created," Elsa said automatically. She had always liked Erik and found herself unwittingly allowing her guard down for a moment. Elsa shook her head and steeled her resolve. She put on her Ice Queen mask. "What are you doing here?"

Erik smiled at all of them. "Like I said. We're here to help Anna."

"Your timing is impeccable," Liv said, voice laden with animosity and pent up aggression. "How did you know she needed help?"

Erik looked to his brother and raised his eyebrows at him. Rorik looked at Arianna, she being the most familiar to him. "I felt a pulse of my brother's magic. It was so faint that I almost ignored it, assuming it was just a memory that had hit me. That happens now and then, but this had felt different, more tangible. So I grabbed Erik and we came straight here."

"How are you even here?" Kaira asked, looking at Erik. "I thought you had moved to Norway?"

"Keeping tabs on me, Kai?" Erik said, playfully. When Kaira continued to look at him with a blank stare and said nothing in response, he sighed and answered truthfully. "I got a call from Rorik about a month ago asking me to come home. He said that it was really important and had to do with Anders. That he'd finally found his family and needed an ally. You know how I felt about my brother. So I packed up and returned immediately. I got back only a couple weeks ago."

"It was after that day at the Institute. Iduna isn't a common name so I had my suspicions when I first heard who we were meeting, but when Hans asked to see Anna, I knew," Rorik explained further, his eyes now looking at the woman sitting on the couch with her unconscious daughter. "Even if I didn't feel his residual binding on her, or even if I couldn't feel her Westergaard magic running through her, she looks so much like him and he even named her after our mother. It took me the better part of that evening convincing both Lars and Hans that their suspicions were incorrect about the girl."

"But they bought it? They don't think Anna is a Westergaard?" Iduna asked fearfully.

"I can't be too sure," Rorik said honestly, frowning deeply. "A few of our brothers can have a… one track mind, if you will, and Lars and Hans are the worst offenders. But I believe I've diverted their attention for the time being. I am Anders' twin, after all. I'm probably the only one that could have convinced them that their suspicions were wrong, and that what they'd felt wasn't tied to Anders in the least. However, the idea will still be there. There's no telling when they will decide to think on it again."

"You're safe here, Iduna," Arianna said reassuringly when she saw the color drain from the face of her newest friend. "We won't let anything harm you or Anna." Iduna looked at Arianna, fear and desperation clear in her eyes, but at Arianna's steady confidence, she relaxed slightly and nodded. She then turned her eyes back to Anna, gently pushing her bangs aside with her fingers once more.

"How did you break the binding?" Rorik asked. None of the women answered, but a few eyes flickered instinctively to Rapunzel. Rorik caught the motion. "Ah, she needed healing and it lifted Anders' magic. That would do it. But why does she sleep?"

"She couldn't handle the sudden manifestation of her power," Kaira said evenly, turning her attention now to the older of the two brothers. "Her mind was in turmoil. I opened a room deep within it and she's resting there, where no one else can reach her."

"Your power has certainly grown, Kai," Erik said. Kaira's gaze snapped to Erik with ferocity.

"I allowed you both into my home because you said you can help Anna. _Not_ to discuss me," Kaira said, her ire rising perceptibly. "Now, I suggest you get down to business before I decide to remove you from this house by use of force."

"That's what she calls me," Liv said, smiling wickedly and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Still the dynamic duo, I see," Erik quipped with a smile.

"Am I right in assuming she's an Empath?" Rorik asked quickly, ignoring both his brother's levity and the hostility directed at him from the women in the room. He wanted to keep them on track before Kaira followed up on her offer to send them away.

"How can you possibly know that?" Elsa asked from her spot next to Anna. Rorik's eyes turned in her direction.

"My brother wouldn't give a reason as to why he wanted to disappear completely," he explained. "But I had my theories; her being an Empath topping my list from the start. The power is as coveted in our family just as your ice powers are in yours, and there hasn't been an Empath born to the Westergaards in almost three centuries. It best explains why my brother felt the need to hide, even from me. The implications of such… My suspicions were all but confirmed from the moment I shook her hand."

"What do you mean?"

"While my twin's power was to nullify another's ability, mine is to replicate it; though, since Anders' death, I can never seem to replicate it to be quite as strong. It diminishes in many ways and does not last long," Rorik said, he looked from Elsa to Iduna. "When she shook my hand, I could feel the curiosity from both of my brothers and the fear emanating from you. I realized then that _you_ knew who _we_ were, so I knew that you must have been my brother's love."

"That's how you plan to help Anna," Arianna said, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Replicate her powers and help find the control she needs."

Rorik nodded and smiled back at his old friend. "It'll take time. The process will likely be slow and difficult for her. As we all know, our powers grow as we do, and hers has been growing dormant for her whole life. She's starting at the beginning when her powers are likely close to full grown now. Ari, might I ask… how bright is her aura?"

"Like the sun," Arianna answered without hesitation. Rorik and Erik shared a look.

"Then her journey is going to be extremely hard," Erik said, all playfulness gone and sadness reaching his eyes. At the looks he received from all the women in the room, he took a breath. "If her power has had this much time to grow, it's going to be overwhelming. Had she grown up learning how to hone her gifts like the rest of us, it might have been different. Imagine suddenly feeling everything, from everyone, all at once."

"We don't have to imagine," Elsa said in a pained whisper and the brothers turned their attention to her. She could still see, with vivid clarity, Anna's huddled figure on the deck of the boat, her suffering mutterings, her pained face on the other side of a wall of blue energy. "We saw it."

"I believe I can help her. If you'll allow it," Rorik said, looking first to Iduna, who nodded, then to Elsa. His expression and voice were so earnest that she wanted to believe him. She looked at Erik. His boyish face had grown over the last eight and a half years, the roundness over his jaw had hardened into a strong angle and the light stubble he sported made him look more rugged than she remembered, but his encouraging smile still comforted her. Elsa turned back to Rorik and gave him a single nod. He smiled and stood in response.

"Hold up there, copycat," Liv said, placing a hand on Rorik's chest as he stepped toward the sleeping girl on the couch. "You may have convinced my sisters, but I'm not so easy to sway. Your family has done nothing but cause us pain for a long time. I don't trust you."

"I don't expect you to," Rorik said honestly. "But believe me when I say that I loved my twin brother above all the rest. No offense, Erik."

"None taken," Erik said lightly. "Likewise. He was the best of us all; the most like mother."

"It nearly broke me when he died, and I searched for years for his wife and daughter to make sure they were still safe... but you did a very good job at hiding, Iduna," Rorik said to the only mortal in the room and then looked back at Liv. "I made a promise to my brother when I last saw him. He asked me, should he die, to make sure his family is taken care of, to help them if I can. I think you can relate to a bond between close siblings. I'll comply with whatever demands you have. All I ask is for the chance to fulfill my final promise to my twin."

Liv was very obviously torn. She stared down Rorik, daring him to break, but he stood tall and resilient. Her eyes flickered to Kaira, and Elsa knew they must be having a quick silent discussion even if the eye contact lasted hardly a second. Soon enough, Liv spoke.

"You will never be alone with her. Either of you," Liv said. "One of us will always attend your training sessions. And if any of your other ten brothers, or any other Westergaard or Weselton for that matter, finds out about Anna, I will come for both of you."

"Agreed," Rorik accepted quickly.

"You're much more hostile than I remember, Liv," Erik said at the same time, smirking at the woman.

"That's what happens when people _leave_ ," Liv spat at him, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. Her stance was wide, like she was prepared to fight, or at least hurl venomous insults in his direction. "Things change and the ones left behind have to adapt."

"Sometimes a person has no other option available," Erik said, eyes laden with sadness flickered briefly in Kaira's direction. His smile was light, but his voice was weighed down with thinly veiled remorse. "I am sorry, Liv. I'd appreciate a chance to make it up to you though."

Liv searched him with calculating eyes, but her shoulders seemed to relax after a moment. Elsa always marveled at Liv's ability to forgive people. Despite Kaira being the telepath, Liv always seemed to read people most easily. She nodded at Erik and said, "I'll think about it."

"When you're ready then," he said with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Let's just move on," Kaira interrupted in an unaffected tone, giving Liv a pointed look. The eldest sister then turned to Rorik. "What do you need to do?"

"I just need to hold her hand for a moment. Then I'll take some time to understand her power," he answered. "Once I feel I have a good hold of it, we can wake her."

"Should most of us leave?" Arianna asked.

"No," Rorik said definitively as he stepped toward Anna. "She's much stronger than I will be. I'll likely need people close to even begin to feel what she probably does without trying."

Elsa instinctively stepped closer to Anna as Rorik approached her. He gave her a reassuring smile and she nodded her permission. Taking Anna's hand, Rorik closed his eyes and everyone waited with bated breath. When he finally opened his eyes, Elsa could see the unshed tears in them. His eyes flitted quickly to Kaira, but he looked away immediately, wrought with conflict. He shook his head from side to side and took several deep breaths.

"This is much harder than I anticipated," Rorik said quietly. Erik stood and walked over to him, placing a hand gently on his brother's shoulder. Rorik immediately straightened and looked at his brother. "Oh, that helps. Very interesting. Thank you. Now, hold still for a moment."

The two brothers stood in the middle of the room for several minutes, Erik keeping a steady hold on Rorik's shoulder and the older brother closing his eyes once more in concentration. When Rorik opened his eyes again, he gave his brother a nod indicating for him to drop his hand. The moment he did, Rorik's eyes clenched shut, but he held up a hand to keep his brother from touching him again. He seemed to battle within himself for some time, his head turning and tilting from one angle to another as he tried to get a handle of all the conflicting emotions that were bombarding his mind. Finally, he opened his eyes again and looked at each person in the room in turn. His eyes settled finally on Elsa and he smiled.

"I think I'm ready," he said quietly. He looked around the room once more. "But I think everyone should leave the house now. I'm not sure if the distance will help her since she's much stronger than I can possibly understand, but it wouldn't hurt to try."

"I said that you will not be alone with her," Liv reiterated angrily.

"I won't be," Rorik said to her before his eyes looked once more to Elsa. "Elsa will stay."

"Me?... I don't know if... I'm sure Kai would be a much better help in this situation," Elsa said. It pained her to say, but she believed it to be true. Despite watching out for Anna and protecting her for the better part of the last five months, she was at a loss for what she could possibly offer Anna on this.

"Eventually, yes. If what I see in my own head is any indication of what Anna might be enduring, she will definitely need Kaira's help. For now though, she just needs someone to focus on," Rorik said gently. "Her power is magnificent. I can feel how strongly you feel for her. If her feelings are reciprocal, you'll be the biggest help to her right now."

Elsa hesitated. How could she possibly be the biggest help to Anna right now? What did she know about emotions? For the last eight years, her personal mantra had been 'conceal, don't feel.' She'd fantasized many times about being able to just shut off all her emotions. How could she help the girl who could now literally feel _everything_?

"Elsa sweetheart," Arianna said, breaking Elsa's spiral of thoughts. She stepped up next to her and smiled gently at her young niece. Arianna held out her hand, palm side up. "I want to show you something."

Elsa looked at her questioningly for a moment, but she trusted her aunt. She placed one trembling hand into Arianna's and blinked at the sudden brightness. Once her eyes adjusted, she realized that brightness was emanating from herself and Anna. It occurred to Elsa then that her Auntie Ari was allowing Elsa to see her own and Anna's auras. She marveled at the colors and couldn't help but notice how complementary they were - Elsa's blues and greens offset nicely by Anna's reds and pinks, like the aurora meeting the sunrise.

" _Auntie Ari says, 'pay close attention to the movement,'"_ Kaira's voice said within her head.

Elsa nodded once, the slightest of dips of the chin possible, and shifted her eyes to the space between her and Anna. At first Elsa didn't see anything noteworthy, but then she noticed new hues where their auras intermingled - tints in all shades of the spectrum like a carousel of color. It was like an entangled web, looping and twisting until it was almost impossible to say where Elsa's aura ended and Anna's began. When Elsa shifted, so did Anna's light and vice versa, as if reaching out to the other - an unseen connection, an unbreakable sort of bond.

Emotion hit her like a tidal wave when the realization finally came. Their inexplicable link, the tug that pulled her to Anna - she finally understood what the cause of it was. She looked at her aunt, and her bright blue eyes flooded with tears. Arianna took her hand back, the world looking considerably dimmer to Elsa now that she could no longer see the auras, and she wiped away Elsa's tears as they fell.

"Stay with her," Ari said. Elsa nodded and Arianna pulled away.

Iduna understood the situation, and made to stand for the first time since they'd all arrived at Aren Manor. She gently laid Anna's head back down on the couch as she slid out from under it then took the couple of steps to Elsa. She surprised the teen by kissing her on the forehead, and then cupping the young girl's cheek. "Please tell my daughter I'm so sorry, and that I'll answer all her questions when she's ready?" Iduna said to her, anguish written all over her face. Elsa nodded at her girlfriend's mother, and her aunt took Iduna by the hand.

"Come, dear," Arianna said. "I'll make you a cup of tea."

Arianna led Iduna out through the front door, and Rapunzel gave Elsa a kiss on the cheek and a small smile before she dashed off after her mother. Liv stood obstinately in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest in defiance. Kaira gave her a look and Liv sighed.

"I'll be in the woods, snowbug. Just beyond the tree line. Shout if you need me," Liv said before she ran off. They all heard the back door slide open and shut quickly.

Erik took a step toward the eldest Aren sister. "Kai, I -"

"I do not have the capacity to deal with you right now, Erik," Kaira said quickly. She gestured to Elsa and an unconscious Anna. "I have important family matters to attend to."

"I understand," Erik said with a single nod and looked at his brother. "I will wait for you at the docks." He turned on his heel and started toward the front door, but he spun around once more and looked at his ex-fiancée. "Like I told Liv, I'm not going anywhere, Kai. I'm here. However you need."

She didn't acknowledge his statement. She didn't even turn to look at him, but once the front door closed once more, Kaira glanced back at it briefly before she shook herself slightly and quickly addressed Rorik. "I will not go far. Not while you're here alone with my baby sister and the girl who I'm quickly beginning to think of as another."

"I never expected that you would," Rorik said. "I'm glad Anna has you all. I just want to be a part of my niece's life if I'm given the chance."

"That is up to Anna," Kaira said evenly. "Now, what do you need us to do?"

"You only need to wake her and leave quickly," Rorik said and then turned to Elsa. "She'll soon become overwhelmed. I need you to take her hand and get her to focus on you and you alone. We'll go from there."

Elsa felt the panic and anxiety rise in her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to crush those feelings down, but they were taking a hold of her. Anna needed her to be strong, but she didn't know if she could. Elsa heard Rorik take a breath before he grabbed her hand. A wave of peacefulness washed over her and she looked at him perplexed.

"Try to stay calm," he said. "Think of the good things you usually associate with Anna - love and hope and joy. Those are your strongest emotions with her, I can see it."

Elsa looked at Anna and knew he was right. She thought of their first date, the first time she drove Anna home from the Institute, the first time they confessed how deeply they felt for each other. Nature brought them together for a reason, and Elsa knew in that moment that this was why. She looked at him and then to her big sister. Kaira nodded in unspoken understanding and leaned over the back of the couch, placing both hands on either side of Anna's head. A moment later, she stood up and gave Elsa an encouraging smile before she dashed out the back door after Liv.

When Anna began to stir, Elsa knelt beside her. Teal eyes fluttered open and immediately landed on her face. She smiled at Elsa before the confusion set in. Copper eyebrows scrunched together and Anna sat up very suddenly, startling Elsa onto her backside. Anna clutched at her stomach with one hand and her head with the other, muttering incoherently to herself like she had on the boat. Elsa froze for a moment, but quickly righted herself. She took the hand from Anna's head with difficulty, Anna's newly unlocked enhanced abilities were in overdrive from under use, but Elsa managed to take her extremely warm hand in both of her icy ones.

"Anna, love. Focus on me. Just me," Elsa said calmly. When Anna still seemed to struggle, chest heaving and teeth clenched tightly, Elsa leaned up and placed her forehead against Anna's, the tips of their noses touching. "Breathe with me and focus on us. We can get through this together. Just come back to me, please."

They stayed like this for some time. Elsa continued to whisper words of encouragement and hope. She caressed the side of Anna's face with the hand not clutching onto Anna's as the ginger's breathing began to even out. Elsa angled her own head slightly to press one quick kiss to Anna's lips without disturbing the connection between their foreheads and noses before Elsa closed her own eyes.

"I love you the way the sun loves the moon," Elsa whispered. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Anna's voice answer her a few minutes later. It was a melody she hadn't heard in hours, but that had already felt far too long a time.

"An eternity with you would be over too soon."

Ocean blue eyes met bright teal and Elsa smiled. "There she is," she whispered.


	21. The North Mountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**10 March 2020**

Anna sat in the dark upon a large throne situated on a slightly raised platform at the head of a grand ballroom. It was a large, rectangular room with twenty foot vaulted ceilings that came to a point along the center. Anna looked up to see that the ceiling was lined with beams. Between them were decorative paintings interspersed with skylights, the moonlight that filtered through them formed a squared off snowflake shape on the patterned hardwood floor. The length of the room was lined with doubled pillars, separating the ballroom floor from the alcoves on either side of the room. Between the pillars, red curtains hung, cinched in the centers against the shafts of each column.

She couldn't remember how she'd gotten here, but it felt right. Like this was where she belonged in this moment. But where were all the people? Where was her mother or Elsa? Where was anyone? Anna stood and walked to the double doors at the other end of the room. She pulled them open easily despite how large they were and found herself in a dimly lit entry hall. The ceiling, like in the ballroom, was high and pointed, but here it was white to match the wainscot paneling along the bottom of the walls. The rest of the wall was decorated in red wallpaper with a golden diamond pattern. Two large, curving staircases led up to the floors above. Anna felt a pull behind her navel urging her forward.

"Elsa," she whispered. Anna ran up the closest staircase and it led her up to a seemingly endless corridor that matched the entrance hall in decor. It was lined with white doors, all shut to her. She tried opening the first, but it was locked. Anna frowned at it, but she moved along, trying to open doors at random but always finding them unmovable. Frustration began to set in. She hated locked doors. Locked doors meant secrets, and secrets were often hurtful. Anna began to run. She ran faster than she'd ever run before. So fast, the doors blended into the walls until all she saw was a blurred tapestry of white, red, and gold.

But then she felt that tug again. She stopped instantly and looked at the door on her left. This one was different from the rest. Instead of plain white, it was decorated with elaborately painted snowflakes. Anna smiled at it and went to open it, but she stopped. A sudden anxiety filled her up and dragged her under. Chest tight. Head buzzed. Stomach churning. Anna shook herself and took several deep breaths. When she'd gotten a hold of the sudden wave of emotion, she lifted her fist.

_Knock. Knock. Knock-knock. Knock._

Upon the last knock, the door opened of its own accord. Happiness and relief suddenly flooded her senses, and Anna quickly pushed open the door. The room inside was exactly as she remembered Elsa's room looking like at her home in Aren Manor, which was perplexing. How did Elsa move her room to this unknown castle? Anna let her eyes sweep the room until they fell on the platinum blonde beauty sitting on the bed. The brightest smile lit up Elsa's face.

"Hello, love," Elsa said, as she held out her hand. "You found me."

Anna ran to her girlfriend, took her hand, and…

She suddenly found herself sitting on the floor of a cave, her legs crossed in front of her like a child sitting in a reading circle. Directly across from her, mirroring her posture, Elsa sat holding both of Anna's hands. The same bright smile that she'd seen on the Elsa sitting in her bedroom in that castle was on this real Elsa, making her ocean blue eyes sparkle with elation. The happiness that flowed off of Elsa was infectious and brought a matching smile to Anna's face.

"Very good, Anna," she heard Kaira's voice say. The ginger girl let go of Elsa's hands and turned her head to see Kaira sitting just behind her. The woman was smiling proudly at her as she lowered her hands from either side of Anna's head. "That was faster than ever."

Anna smiled at Kaira and the present came flooding back to her. She glanced around the area. They were about thirty feet from the mouth of the cave, through which they could see the center of the town of Arendelle in the far distance. They were up high on the North Mountain, far away from the bulk of the population of the island. While it wasn't far enough to completely rid Anna of the many emotions from the townspeople, being up on the mountain quieted them down to a dull murmur enough that Anna could actually think.

She had spent the better part of the previous two days after the sailing trip in this cave with Elsa, Kaira, and her Uncle Rorik. The first day, Rorik had spent helping her focus on just the person she was touching at the moment, usually Elsa. Anna found attuning to Elsa's emotions to be the easiest. The two girls guessed it had to do with the connection they'd been gifted by Nature; Elsa had taken the first moment they had alone together after Anna was awoken to explain what her Auntie Ari had shown her regarding their auras. It followed logically that Elsa was the easiest person for Anna to emotionally read. Whenever Anna began to feel overwhelmed and couldn't find her way through the barrage of foreign feelings, Elsa only had to take her hand and Anna would use her as an anchor to find her way through the storm.

Yesterday and most of this morning had been spent doing this exercise with Kaira. She'd put Anna deep in her own mind, away from the feelings of the rest of the town, and Anna would find her way through the maze in search of Elsa. It was a funny maze, in Anna's opinion. After the first few tries, she quickly realized that it was a castle. Sometimes, she'd know she was in this castle and she'd look out the windows into an empty courtyard or she'd wind her way up a tall tower and look out over an expanse of nothingness. But that unmistakable tug would always pull her toward Elsa in the end.

" _What is that place, Kai? The castle that you always put me?" Anna had asked Kaira after the third trial yesterday._

" _Oh, I don't put you there, sweetie," Kaira had answered with a smile. "That's a place you created for yourself. I simply lead you to it. Quite fitting that a castle is what you built yourself in your subconscious. A literal fortress against the onslaught of feelings from the outside world."_

"Kaira is right, Anna," Rorik said, bringing Anna back out of her thoughts, and all the girls turned to him. He was perched on a boulder several feet away from all of them. "You've made excellent progress these last few days. I feel confident that you'll be ready to go back to school next week."

Sudden panic gripped Anna's heart, but she wasn't sure if it was her own or Elsa's. Anna had quickly come to realize that Elsa's default emotion was anxiety, a concerning revelation in and of itself. She snuck a peek at her girlfriend from the corner of her eye, but Elsa seemed to hold herself as usual, though that didn't mean much. The second thing Anna had realized quickly these last few days was that Elsa was always so good at concealing her emotions, even from herself. Anna looked back at her uncle just in time to see him roll his shoulders out. He must have felt the same wave of anxiousness that she had, having refreshed her powers within himself just that morning.

"Hm, I think I want us to try something new now," Rorik said once he'd tamped down the uneasy feeling. "Another aspect of your gifts, Anna, is projecting emotions to others. Much like you feeling other people's emotions, you should be able to have other people feel what you want them to. Turn a sad person's despair into happiness, for example. Or calm the panic for someone who's feeling fear or anxiety."

His eyes flickered to Elsa as a new wave of disquiet hit Anna hard. She kept her gaze from Elsa though. Anna knew that drawing attention to her girlfriend at the moment would make her feelings magnify. "Have you been able to do it, Uncle Rorik?"

 _Nope, still weird. That will take getting used to_ , Anna thought to herself. She now knew the truth about her past. She is a Westergaard. An undeniable fact now, but Anna stuffed down anything she felt in response to the new knowledge. There was already enough on her mind, literally the emotions of everyone within range, she just couldn't deal with that too at the moment.

"A few times. Mortals are easier for me. I find that I cannot alter the emotions of River Born if they choose to resist, but I'd imagine that you wouldn't have the same issue," Rorik said, leaving his boulder and walking over, gesturing for all the women to stand. Kaira took his place as the observer upon the makeshift chair and Rorik became the teacher. He stood by Anna's side facing Elsa. "What you want to do is focus on the emotion you want. Think of a memory, a strong one; so strong that you can associate emotion with that memory. When you have a good grasp on that feeling inside of you, imagine gathering it up, forming a ball of feeling, if you will, and sending it to the person or persons that you have in mind. Picture it leaving your chest and entering theirs. Sometimes touch helps."

Anna nodded. She closed her eyes and imagined sunset on the beach in Monterey. She could hear the waves crashing on the shore, smell the salty breeze blowing through the air, see the colors of the sky as they transitioned from bright blue to orange, red, then inky purple. The memory calmed her. She concentrated on that tranquility and, keeping her eye closed, reached out for Elsa. She felt Elsa's cold hand take hers and the serenity she felt washed away in the wake of Elsa's inner turmoil. Anna pulled back instinctively and Elsa let go, intuitively knowing Anna needed the space.

The minor lapse in concentration opened up the floodgates in Anna's mind. Anger… glee… excitement… The emotions from the town found their way inside her head, pulling at her heart and gripping her insides. She felt herself falling and she couldn't tell if it was physical or mental. Anna tried to shut them out, but they were getting stronger. Walls were going up all around her. Jealousy… disgust… desperation… She hated how the negative feelings always found her with the most force. They were heavy and they yanked her down toward a darkness in the distance.

" _Sweetie, look for your castle,_ " she heard Kaira's voice call from somewhere she couldn't see. " _It's there for you. A haven within yourself."_

Anna looked around. All she could see were vaulted barriers on either side of her, creating a long hallway with no ceiling, fading into the cloudy grey-white sky above her. It reminded her of the fog above San Francisco. Behind her, the darkness was encroaching. She turned and looked the other way, and there it was - a beautiful stone castle topped with green roofing and surrounded by a tall stone wall. Anna ran toward it. She could feel the darkness on her heels and she pushed herself harder. The next thing she knew, she ran across a stone bridge and through an open gate. She crossed the courtyard quickly and threw herself against the large front doors. They opened for her easily and she turned around, shutting it quickly behind her just as the darkness reached the front steps.

She slid down the closed front doors, her back against them, until she could wrap her arms around her knees. Once she gathered her breath, Anna looked around. She was back in the entry hall, everything was just as the last time she'd been in it not too long ago. The castle was silent, not a sound other than her own breathing could be heard. She was alone; completely isolated.

 _Is this what my life will be now?_ _Loneliness and isolation,_ Anna thought to herself. She couldn't be around people without being so overwhelmed with emotions that she nearly became catatonic. _The only safe place is this castle in my mind. Am I destined to stay here forever?_

She got up and walked up the staircase to the endless hallway and found nothing. She went back down the entry hall and took the other staircase up to the tallest tower. She looked out over the expanse and saw the darkness had surrounded her castle. It flowed in and out of the courtyard, seeking entrance into her fortress. Both beyond and within the darkness, she could see shining lights; small rays of hope bursting within a murky ocean of gloom and despair. Anna sighed and wandered around the castle more. She looked for the snowflake door. She listened closely for signs of anyone else, but she found herself in complete solitude and she felt…

Nothing.

 _Strange,_ she thought. _The nothing is… empty._ It was emptier than even the darkness that swirled just outside the doors of the castle. And then it occurred to her. She _felt_ nothing because there _was_ nothing in her castle. Nothing but herself, devoid of any emotion, even her own. _This is not the way to live_ , she thought to herself. With a deep, steadying breath, Anna turned around and descended the grand staircase once more, coming to a stop in front of the doors to the outside and the sea of turmoil and chaos beyond.

 _I have to let myself feel_ , Anna thought. _Everything. Embrace all of it. Feeling everything, even the dark and heavy emotions, is better than feeling nothing._

She grabbed the large handle and hesitated. With a deep breath, she heaved the door open and the darkness poured in. Hopelessness… anguish… hatred… terror… everything flowed through her and around her, but then one of those bright lights poured into the castle. Happiness… affection… pleasure… good feelings, though fleeting, broke up the monotony of bleak gloom. For every dark feeling - despair, worry, loathing - a brilliant gleam would find its way inside - faith, hope, love.

And Anna welcomed them. All of them.

She led them up the stairs to the endless hallway, opening up the doors as she went, allowing each emotion to take residence in one of the castle's many rooms. As each room closed behind it, the door changed, marking it for its new resident - a dark green for jealousy, a pale purple for love, and deep blue for depression. When the final emotion had found its home, Anna turned and she finally saw it. A single white door adorned with snowflakes. She smiled and approached it. Without knocking, she pushed the door open and, standing in the middle of the room, she found Elsa crying silently. With a frown, Anna approached her. She wiped the tears from Elsa's pale cheeks, the light dusting of freckles prominent in the moonlight pouring through the large bay window.

"Are you ready to come back now, Anna?" Elsa asked her. Her voice sounded distant, like it was coming through a layer of water.

"I want to be wherever you are, love," Anna whispered. She closed her eyes and placed a sweet kiss on Elsa's lips.

When she opened her eyes again, Anna found herself lying on the floor of the cave. Night had fallen, the light of the moon poured through the cave's mouth. She heard the crackling of a fire somewhere beside her, its warmth enveloping her completely. Anna felt hands on her head and she looked up to see Kaira's upside down face. Anna's head was resting in her lap. The woman had dried tracks running down her cheeks, and her eyes were shining with fresh tears. She smiled down at Anna.

"You are strong and beautiful inside and out, little one," Kaira whispered, pride evident in her voice. "It is no wonder why Nature bestowed you with such a remarkable gift."

She helped Anna sit up and the teen glanced around the cave. Elsa was curled up under Rorik's coat, her arms a makeshift pillow under her head. Her uncle was leaning against the boulder, legs straight out in front of him with the right ankle resting over the left and his arms crossed over his chest. They both had a deep v of worry etched between their scrunched up eyebrows.

"What time is it?" Anna whispered, turning around to face Kaira.

"Just after midnight," she answered quietly. "You've been out for over twelve hours."

"Twelve hours!" Anna stage whispered and her eyes darted quickly to the two sleeping forms, worried that she might have woken them. They didn't stir though.

"Finding a place for all those emotions took a long time once you found your resolve."

"You… you saw that?" Anna asked in wonder.

"I didn't want you to be alone, sweetie, even if you couldn't tell I was watching out for you," Kaira said, brushing Anna's bangs to the side. "I can only observe though. It seems Elsa is the only one that can find the way into your little castle."

"How?"

"I'm not sure even she knows she's there," Kaira said, her eyes sweeping over her baby sister's slumbering form. "More so, I think it's the part of her that you seem to keep with you always. Your anchor point, so to say. Elsa uses you similarly now when she feels like her powers are out of control. Don't tell her I told you that though."

Kaira winked at her and Anna nodded with a smile. Anna looked back at Elsa and she couldn't help the gratitude she felt toward Nature for all the gifts she'd given her. She felt a little guilty, really. For most of her life, Anna blamed Nature for making her life difficult. Now she knew though, Nature was only preparing her for all the good that was to come. Anna and Kaira sat for a little while, listening to the crackling of the fire and enjoying the silence when it occurred to her.

"The feelings!" Anna gasped, trying to keep quiet. "I don't feel the town's emotions."

Kaira smiled at her. "Are you sure about that?"

Anna scrunched her eyebrows and looked within herself. At first there was nothing past her own confusion and astonishment, but then she found it. Like a low droning buzz humming steadily underneath her readily available thoughts, just like they were behind…

"The doors," Anna whispered. She looked at Kaira's smiling face again and returned it this time.

"I'm hoping things will be much easier for you now," Kaira said with a nod. "Now that you understand how to compartmentalize, quite literally, all the outside emotions, it should get better. However, we must not get complacent. There's still much work to do, but I think you may be okay to head back to the house awake tonight."

"You really think that I'm ready for that?" Anna raised her eyebrows and she felt the nerves prickle within her, but was comforted in knowing that it was her own anxiousness this time. Since waking up that first night, Kaira had put Anna back into her deep slumber whenever they headed back into town to give Anna some well deserved rest. Going back to Aren Manor without the forced slumber seemed like an extremely big step after only three days of training.

"I think it's worth trying," Kaira said encouragingly. "If it's too much to get to sleep on your own, I can put you back in your castle, but I believe you might be able to achieve that without help now. Come, let's wake the sleepy heads and we can head home."

Anna nodded and went to Elsa. She got down on her stomach and leaned in, planting a gentle kiss to Elsa's lips. "Wake up, sleeping beauty."

Elsa's eyes fluttered open and her bright ocean eyes landed on Anna. Recognition quickly dawned in Elsa's wide eyes and she sat up. Anna did so too, but much more quickly. So quickly, she ended up ten feet away. She still wasn't used to how fast she could move when she wasn't actively thinking about it. A blush painted across Anna's freckled cheeks.

"Sorry," Anna said bashfully. "I still don't know how to control all these new abilities I have."

"We can work on that next." Elsa giggled. She got up, handing the jacket she was using as a blanket to Rorik, who had been awoken by her big sister, and then took two steps to Anna. She hesitated, however, remembering what happened the last time they touched.

Anna smiled and took the final step toward Elsa, closing the space and taking her hand. "I figured some stuff out. Apparently it took twelve hours… didn't feel like twelve hours in my head though… Actually, it felt like an instant, but I know it wasn't… I can't believe you all stayed here actually… Like, you could have gone -"

Elsa cut her off with a quick kiss on the lips. "I waited seventeen years to find you. Twelve hours is nothing."

Anna's blush burned even brighter, and suddenly the coals that Rorik was currently tossing dirt on after extinguishing the flames with Anna's borrowed fire manipulation reignited with vigor. All three women started as the fire roared. Rorik jumped back and started patting out the fire on the cuff of his jacket.

"Well, looks like we'll need to work on that too. I can see how you set the carpet on fire as a baby. Anders was very amused when he told me the story. Apparently you were upset at him for hiding too long during a round of peek-a-boo," Rorik said with a chuckle. He turned to Anna who was now so red, the fire was dim in comparison. He gestured for her to come over to him and she let go of Elsa's hand, walking toward the fire. "Now, I'm not sure if you've ever noticed that you don't get burned by things. As it happens, we are pretty resistant to fire. Even those of our family, like your father and myself, where fire manipulation or control isn't a gift."

Anna's eyes widened at the revelation. She had never considered it before, but now that she thought about it, she couldn't deny the truth. She'd grabbed many pots directly off the stove, downed piping hot cocoa without waiting for it to cool, and that time in chemistry when she'd grabbed a hot beaker off the bunsen burner surely should have left some sort of mark. Rorik could feel the understanding coming off of Anna and he smiled.

"Most of my brothers have some sort of fire power, each of them a little different, and each, as it would follow, controlled a different way," Rorik explained. He reached his hand directly into the flames, Anna's eyes going wide as he did so. When he pulled back, he held a ball of fire in the palm of his hand. "Emotions are a powerful thing for our family, much like Elsa's gift as I've come to realize, which makes the pairing of your fire ability with your empathic ability very special. Depending on your emotions, you can feed the fire in many ways. Anger for instance…"

The fire in Rorik's hand grew exponentially. It burned hot and bright, causing all the women to squint in its presence. Then, as quickly as it expanded, it shrunk down into the size of a flame upon a single match head, burning a cool blue light.

"Or sadness… Each emotion is reflected in how the fire burns," Rorik continued. He closed his fist and snuffed the small flame out instantly. He waved the hand toward the fire. "Now you try."

Anna raised her eyebrows at him incredulously. "Like… just stick my hand into fire?"

"It won't hurt you. I promise."

Anna sighed and shook her head, but turned toward the flames. She reached out a hand tentatively, hesitating just above the flames. It was pleasantly warm, not hot as she expected. She inhaled deeply to steady herself and plunged her hand into the fire. Anna stared at her hand as she moved it around the flames similar to how one would test the temperature of a bath before sinking into it. She felt someone approach near her left shoulder and knew it was Elsa without needing to look.

"What's it feel like?" Elsa asked, her voice filled with wonder and curiosity.

"It kind of… tickles," Anna said with a giggle. The fire burned a little brighter in response to her delight. She pulled her hand back out and rubbed her fingers together before turning her hand around and around checking for any marks from the fire. She was completely unscathed. She looked at Elsa. "That's freakier than feeling everyone else's emotions."

Elsa smirked at her and raised a single eyebrow. "Fire and Ice… how befitting."

"Okay, Anna," Rorik said, taking the girl's attention back. "Let's try putting out our little campfire. Pick a heavy emotion, one that carries weight. An emotion that pulls the air out of your lungs. Then concentrate that emotion on the fire."

Anna closed her eyes and remembered how she felt when she'd awoken to find that her entire life was a lie. A deep sadness had filled her and weighed her down with a melancholy she'd never experienced before, and she could feel the tears begin to well up behind her eyelids. She could feel the temperature in the room drop as she imagined the fire dwindling down, the flames getting snuffed out by the heaviness of her sorrow. Anna was a generally happy person, always able to look on the bright side of things. Learning about who she really was and how her mother had kept it all from her had been a harsh reality to swallow.

She hadn't seen her mother since she'd woken. Anna was staying in a guest room at Aren Manor for the time being (with Marshmallow at the foot of the bed, guarding her throughout the night). It was partly out of convenience as the sisters were more equipped with helping Anna through bouts of her new powers, but mostly, Anna just didn't want to go back to her home where her mother was. Iduna had tried on multiple occasions to speak to her, but Anna was usually deep in a slumber or training up in the mountains. When she wasn't, the young girl had refused to give her mother an audience, and the two elder Aren sisters were forced to turn Iduna away. Anna could hear her mother crying two floors below (the teen's hearing now advanced like the other River Born), and could feel her regret and sadness, but Anna just couldn't find it within her to even look at her mother yet. She felt betrayed. They weren't supposed to have secrets, and Iduna had kept the biggest one from Anna for her entire life.

The grief Anna had chosen was suddenly replaced with fresh fury at the thought of her mother's deception, and the fire reignited with a vengeance in response to Anna's anger. The brightness outside of her closed eyes was blinding, and the heat flooded the cave. Anna's eyes shot open and she took several quick steps back. Elsa quickly joined her and took her hand and a ripple of support and calm eased through her, starting small, but growing as it ebbed away Anna's sudden temper. Elsa stood before her and leaned her forehead against Anna's, and the heat and light died down slightly as the rest of Anna's ire faded. Anna met Elsa's gaze, letting herself feel comfort in those bright blue eyes.

"Thank you," Anna whispered. Elsa answered with a little kiss to Anna's lips.

"We'll work on that later," Rorik said as he waved his hand above the campfire, extinguishing the flames back down to embers. Anna and Elsa parted as he kicked some loose dirt over the coals once more. "I'll bring Erik later this week. His power will be helpful for this."

Multiple conflicting emotions broke through Anna's new (and still fragile) defenses. Betrayal… hope… doubt… longing… Anna shook her head, but couldn't shake the feelings off of her. She realized it was because the source wasn't coming from the town, but somewhere much closer. Her eyes flickered to Elsa's big sister. Kaira's eyes were staring at the dimly glowing coals with perceived disinterest, but her inner emotions gave her away. Elsa noticed Anna's discomfort quickly and took her hand again, ridding Anna of Kaira's discord.

"Ready for a piggy-back ride?" Elsa said with a small smile.

Anna shook her head. "Kai thinks I'm ready to go back to the house on my own."

Elsa frowned and Anna could feel the unease spark in her girlfriend. "Are you ready for that? You don't have to push yourself, love. You can take it slow. No one would fault you."

"No, I think I want to at least try," Anna said reassuringly. She gathered up all the resolve she could muster. She imagined cracking open the deep maroon door housing the bravery in her mind's castle. Anna surprised herself when it seemed to work. "I believe I can do this at least. I'll have to try someday and if I can get this out of the way, it leaves room for me to work on the other stuff. Controlling my strength and speed… not setting everything on fire… projecting my emotions to others… there's so much to work on."

"Well then, let's start with the easy thing," Elsa said, tightening her grip on Anna's hand. She pulled Anna to the mouth of the cave and they looked out over the island. The approaching spring weather had already begun melting the snow on the lower part of the mountain, giving way for the trees and flora to thrive. Elsa pointed to a light in the distance. Anna knew it was the Aren Manor on the outskirts of the town. "Want to go for a run?"

Anna quickly understood what Elsa meant and apprehension bubbled within her stomach. Anna would never have considered herself athletic before. In reality, her predisposition for tripping on thin air was always teetering on the border of disaster. She was sure she was going to either fall off of a cliff or collide with one of the many trees that sprawled out at the base of the mountain.

"I won't let you get hurt. Running comes naturally to us. Like all your other abilities, you just need to exercise it. Just stick close," Elsa said, not needing to be an Empath to know what Anna's hesitation was in response to. Elsa held up their clasped hands to reinforce her point. When Anna still seemed reluctant to move, Elsa leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I also heard that Liv was expecting a new shipment of those Belgian chocolates today. The faster we get down there, the sooner we can see if we can find her stash."

Anna beamed. "Well then, stop talking and let's go."

Their giggles echoed behind them as they sprinted down the mountain side, the two adults following closely behind them.


	22. The Founders' Day Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

_Five days after the manifestation of her latent powers, Anna was finally feeling some semblance of normal. She'd honed her ability to compartmentalize the emotions that weren't her own enough that she could relax and not actively think about placing those feelings behind their own doors constantly. All of her River Born mentors (as she began to call them) had decided she needed a well deserved break after all the progress she'd made. So that's what she was doing - she and Elsa were lounging in the den, Elsa lying on the couch teaching herself how to play the ukulele Anna had gotten her for Christmas and Anna was curled up with a book. She was using Marshmallow as a giant pillow, having moved to snuggled into his warm fur when he curled up at her feet._

"What _is going on here?"_

" _We aren't doing anything," Elsa said defensively, sitting up and holding her hands above her head. She was very confused. She and Anna weren't sitting anywhere near each other. There's no way Liv could think that they -_

" _No!_ This _!" she exclaimed, gesturing to Anna. The older blonde stepped into the room from the sliding glass door, not bothering to shut it behind her. "Anna and Marshmallow!"_

" _Oh, yeah! He's my snuggle bug," Anna said, cuddling in deeper into Marshmallow's furry belly. Using her sickly sweet, lovey Marshmallow voice - she said, "Isn't that right, Marsh? We wuv a good snuggle sesh."_

_Liv's eyes went wide with shock and Elsa completely dissolved with laughter. She attempted to subdue her amusement multiple times, but each glance at Liv's wide-mouthed expression had her losing it over and over. Eventually, with a stitch in her side and sore cheeks, she managed to wheeze out a response to her big sister._

" _He absolutely adores her. Have you not noticed that he's been sleeping in her bed all week?" Elsa said, hiccupping from lack of air as she rubbed the discomfort from her cheeks._

_Liv shook her head slowly and stared at Anna nestled against the big dog for a long moment before speaking directly to Marshmallow, devastation all over her face. Her voice was but a whisper. "Why don't you let me love you?"_

" _Aww, Liv," Anna said. She felt Liv's genuine heartache at Marshmallow's perceived apathy toward her. It was like a hollow feeling in the middle of her chest and tears welled in Anna's eyes. Sitting up, she closed her eyes and thought about how she felt for the middle of Elsa's sisters. Anna remembered their interaction at Dr. Max's after the caverns fiasco, and how Liv was the one that pushed Elsa to get closer to Anna. She thought about Liv's playfulness and the way she fiercely protected the ones she loved, Anna included. Her affection for the lively blonde bloomed in her head. Anna imagined that affection becoming tangible, shaping it into a ball and flowing it into her hand. She opened her eyes and turned to look Marshmallow in the eyes before placing that hand on his head._

_He immediately jumped up in excitement, bounding over to Liv and pouncing on her. Marshmallow knocked Liv to the floor in surprise and started licking her face, his tail wagging in complete adoration. Liv laughed and wrestled with Marshmallow playfully. Soon enough, Liv was covered in fur and slobber, but was smiling from ear to ear._

" _Okay, okay. Yeah, I get it. You love me now, ya big lug," Liv said, gaining the upper hand on Marshmallow and rubbing his belly until his back foot started thumping uncontrollably. She patted the fluffy dog on his hindquarters. "Now go outside, ya goober, and go potty."_

_He jumped gracefully and, with a booming bark, ran out of the door to the backyard that Liv had left open earlier. Liv dusted her hands on her jeans, face still covered in Marshmallow's kisses, and she turned to Anna._

" _I love you too, Anna bear," Liv said, understanding what Anna had just done. Marshmallow's abounding affection just now was only a reflection of Anna's feelings for Liv. The blonde woman suddenly got a mischievous look in her eyes._

" _Uh oh. You should run, love," Elsa said casually as she continued to pluck a gentle tune on the small stringed instrument._

" _Huh?" Anna asked with confusion, glancing at her girlfriend._

" _Time for me to return the kisses, Anna bear," Liv said, opening her arms wide. Anna saw the wet slobber still all over Liv's face, hands, and clothes._

" _Oh, no! Don't come near me until you wash up," Anna warned, backing away. Liv feigned a lunge toward Anna, causing the ginger girl to hop over the back of the couch and sprint through the open sliding door. She'd only gotten a few paces across the yard when strong arms caught her around the waist and started tickling her. Anna laughed uncontrollably, trying to squirm her way out of Liv's grasp. "Sto-op!... Haha!... Stop! Okay… Okay, I yield!... Hehe… I yield!"_

_Liv let her go and Anna put her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "Nice job, Anna! You got farther than last time."_

_Anna straightened up as Liv walked several paces back and plucked the little orange flag contractors usually used to mark underground power lines or plumbing from the ground. She returned to Anna and stuck the flag right in between the teen's feet. Anna smiled up at Liv._

" _I'm going to make it to the treeline soon. Just mark my words," Anna said confidently. "Those chocolates will be mine."_

" _Oh, baby cakes," Liv said in her southern belle accent. She winked at Anna. "Ya' haven't seen how fast I can run yet."_

_Anna chuckled, but then abruptly stopped when a sudden bout of apprehension came over her. Anna looked through the glass windows that made up the back wall of the bottom level of Aren Manor and saw that Elsa was still in the same spot on the couch, leisurely strumming on her ukulele. Anna let out a sigh and looked at Liv who was watching her carefully after the sudden change in mood._

" _My mother is here," she said just as the doorbell rang._

" _Okay, that's a little freaky," Liv said with a smirk, but it quickly faded when she saw the panicked look on the young girl's face. "Do you want me to let her in or send her away?"_

_Elsa, who had heard Anna's comment through the open sliding door, came to stand at the edge of the yard. Both sisters waited patiently for Anna to come to her decision. Anna knew she should speak with her mother. Although Elsa had told Anna everything her mother had confessed that fateful evening, Anna still had so many questions; questions only her mother could answer. However, she was still so angry, Anna was sure that the conversation wouldn't be productive. And if she admitted the full truth to herself, she was slightly afraid of what answers her mother might have for her._

" _I don't think I can…" Anna said quietly to Liv, pain clear in her voice and expression. Elsa was at her side in an instant, holding her hand and Liv leaned down to place a kiss on Anna's forehead._

" _Go for a run with Elsa. I'll tell your mother you aren't in," Liv said gently before she headed back into the house._

" _Are you sure you don't want to see her?" Elsa asked. Anna turned to her and nodded sadly. "Okay. Race you to the river basin?"_

_Anna smiled slightly. "Let's go."_

* * *

**14 March 2020**

"Remember that we can leave at any time," Elsa said as Anna pulled on her parka. The ginger now ran hotter internally as a result of her unlocked River Born abilities so the chilled March air in Arendelle felt colder than ever. "I only have to make an appearance as an Aren family descendant, but the moment you start to feel overwhelmed, we can come right home."

"Relax, Els," Anna said as she zipped up her coat. "I've got a good handle on the empath thing. Things are going to be okay."

"I know, but this is the first time you're going to be around other people, and there's going to be quite a lot of them," Elsa said, taking both of Anna's hands in hers. The low murmur of anxious nerves that Elsa usually held inside flowed into Anna's chest. The ginger concentrated on calming thoughts and watched as Elsa visibly relaxed. Elsa gave her a half-smile, that elusive single left dimple making an appearance. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You've got it under control, but we can still leave whenever you need."

"I know. Thank you," Anna said earnestly and gave Elsa a quick kiss before she pulled the door open. Anna shivered. "I can't wait till I can keep myself warm." Her Uncle Erik had told her that she would learn to wrap her fire gift around herself to keep from feeling the cold so strongly. So far she'd been unsuccessful, and Anna couldn't wait until the cold didn't bother her as much as it didn't bother Elsa.

When they got out to the Festival and exited the car, all the confidence that Anna had while they were still at the house wavered. She'd spent the entire break either in the cave up near the summit of the North Mountain or past the Aren Manor on the outskirts of town. The sheer amount of emotions bombarding her senses at this close of a range in the town center was much harder to ignore. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. A cold hand took her left one and an outpouring of love and support drowned out the onslaught of incoming feelings. Glancing to her left, Anna met Elsa's smile with one of her own.

"You still okay to go?" Elsa asked her.

"Just stick close," Anna said and she pulled her girlfriend along to head toward Oaken's booth. It had been far too long since she'd had a fresh cup of his cocoa.

"Miss Elsa! Miss Anna! It's good to see you two. You didn't come by all break," Oaken said, as he poured two paper cups of cocoa from a large thermos and topped them with gratuitous helpings of whipped cream. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about poor old Oaken."

"Impossible, Oaken!" Anna said emphatically. Elsa nodded her agreement. "We've just been a bit busy."

"Well, don't be strangers, ya?"

"We'll be there right after school on Tuesday," Elsa assured him after getting the affirmative to her silent question from Anna. They wandered around the town square, checking out the many booths and activities offered. There were hundreds of sunflowers decorating the entire square, making Anna smile at every turn. They greeted classmates and their teachers, took a couple turns in the photo booth, and enjoyed some festival snacks. Anna didn't let go of Elsa's hand once. While she knew eventually she'd need to learn how to be around large crowds without using Elsa as a crutch, Anna could tell already that today was not that day.

But it seemed that the universe couldn't sense that. After a couple hours, Rapunzel came skipping up to them, an apologetic look already on her face as Kristoff trailed closely behind her.

"Hey, Els," Rapunzel said timidly. "Mom asked me to come get you. Apparently the City Council wants to cut the ribbon on the new Founders' Monument with all the surviving members of the Aren family present." Raps turned to Anna. "Sorry, Anna-boo, but I brought Kristoff to keep you company."

Kristoff was one of the few people outside of Elsa's family and her two uncles that Anna had been in contact with since her powers were unlocked. Liv had suggested he attend the first training session Kaira had to miss to fulfill her Mayoral duties. She thought his diluted telepathic abilities would give him insight into what Anna might be going through. Despite Anna being completely thrown by the fact that Kristoff could _actually_ talk to animals - a fact that she realized he never really hid from her, she was just too logical to believe him - his presence did help.

Though he couldn't relate to the way the emotions rushed at her at all times (he actively had to work at speaking with animals), Anna found that Kristoff's emotions were strong and often singular. It was easy for Anna to pick out his one track feelings and let everything else become background noise when she was in physical contact or extremely close proximity with him, so her first day without Kaira around as a contingency was made easier by having both Elsa and Kristoff there to feed off.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Elsa said, but Anna had already started letting go of her girlfriend's hand.

"Go do your thing, love," Anna said. When their hands finally dropped away from each other, the emotions that were bubbling under the surface quickly magnified, like a simmering saucepan coming to a rapid boil. Anna took two steps closer to Kristoff until they were almost shoulder to shoulder and his easy disposition smoothly took the forefront enough for her to compartmentalize all the other noise. She took his hand and felt herself relax before she looked at Elsa once more. "See. I've got this till you come back."

Elsa hesitated, but then her head tilted slightly toward the gazebo as her eyes flickered quickly to where Kaira was standing. She sighed and stepped up to Anna, giving her a quick kiss before backing away. "I won't be any longer than necessary."

"I know," Anna responded with a smile. Elsa eyed Kristoff a little, a small spark of jealousy quickly flitting through Anna's senses, before she followed Rapunzel to where their family was standing.

"How's it fairing today, Feisty Pants?" Kristoff said with a warm, lopsided smile. She was thankful for the steady quiet frequency rolling underneath his clear cheerfulness.

"It's manageable," she said, though her voice didn't sound too convinced. "Just don't run off, please?"

"Of course not," Kristoff said and then his face lit up. "But hey! Sven is entertaining the kids at the petting zoo. Want to go say hi?"

"I'd never say no to Sven," Anna said, finally returning Kristoff's smile. It had been a while since she'd seen the reindeer and the prospect of paying him a visit was enticing. Kristoff led her to the other side of the square where a large pen had been set up. There were bunnies, dogs (Olaf and Marshmallow included), a couple goats, and a large metal tub with heat lamps clamped to the side. Anna took a peek into the basin and saw there were two dozen baby chicks scurrying around the tiny hands of the children reaching in. They crossed the pen to the largest animal in the small zoo, Marshmallow took the opportunity to stick close to Anna, walking along at her side and nuzzling his cold nose into her warm hand.

"Hey, buddy. Enjoying the fun?" Kristoff said when they reached Sven. He pulled a carrot from his pocket and handed it to the little boy that was petting the reindeer's leg. Sven immediately leaned down and sniffed at it so the boy held it out carefully and let Sven eat it out of his palm. The boy smiled at Kristoff before turning his attention to Marshmallow. His treat gone, Sven looked at Kristoff and huffed through his nose several times.

"What's he saying?" Anna asked, intrigued by the interaction. She was kicking herself for not realizing Kristoff's very obvious gift before.

"He's a little upset. The kids keep hanging on his antlers," Kristoff said and then gave Anna a wary sideways glance. "And he's mad that you haven't visited him in a while."

"Aw, Svenny. Don't be a grumpy pants," Anna said and reached to scratch him under the chin. She drew from the giddy elation of all the children around her, feeling herself lighten a bit inside, and then moved her hand to rest of Sven's snout. She pushed the happy feeling his way, and his demeanor visibly changed. "That's better, yeah?"

She was rewarded with a snort and Kristoff laughed. "He says he can't stay mad at you. You're far too cute."

"Right back at ya, buddy," Anna said with a smile. After a quick goodbye to Olaf and Marshmallow, they wandered around the booths again, coming to a stop at the small plant nursery being run by Deputy Ranger Luke Corona. She gave him a little wave as they browsed through the plants that could thrive within a house.

"Where's your mom? Not that I'm anxious to see her… she kind of scares me… but I know she was upset when she'd missed the Tree Lighting Festival," Kristoff said offhandedly. "I figured she would have been here."

An uneasiness and angry fire that was all her own filled Anna up. Since the awakening of her powers, Anna's emotions were always quick to escalate and a simple emotion ran in overdrive. It was a side effect of her empathic abilities she still needed to work on. Anna tried to rein in her ire, though very unsuccessfully.

"I'm not really speaking to my mother right now."

Kristoff's head whipped in her direction. "What? Why?"

"Why?!" Anna nearly shouted. The wick burning at the next booth over where a lady was selling candles shot up quickly. Anna took a breath to calm herself and the flame died back down to normal. The lady looked around and then shook her head, going back to speak with customers. Anna turned back to Kristoff. "She lied to me, Kristoff. About who I am, who my father was. She kept secrets, _huge_ secrets. You can't just expect me to forgive her so quickly."

Kristoff appraised her for a long moment, long enough that Anna became uncomfortable. Eventually, he shrugged. "I don't know. If I had a mother, I don't think I could stay mad at her for that long."

Anna's anger was suddenly extinguished by an icy cold wave of sadness. She looked at her friend with sorrowful eyes. Kristoff was examining a plant with waxy leaves without really seeing it, rubbing one of the leaves between his thumb and forefinger of the hand that Anna wasn't clinging to. He had never known his parents. He had been left at a fire station somewhere on the Mainland as a baby, and had spent most of his early years bouncing between an orphanage and several foster homes before he was placed in his current foster home on Arendelle when he was eight years old. His River Born abilities, assuming he's a far removed descendent of one of the Firsts, were a surprise to him, and he kept them a secret from both the orphanage and his foster family.

"It's complicated, Kristoff."

"I know," Kristoff said, turning his attention to her fully. "And you have every right to be upset, but you haven't given your mom a chance to tell you her side of things."

Anna opened her mouth to argue back, but someone took her other hand. A steady resolve replaced Kristoff's gloominess and Anna let go of Kristoff, turning to gaze into the ocean blue eyes that were looking at her with a firmness that Anna could not ignore.

"He's right, love," Elsa said. "You should go home to your mother. Don't you think she's suffered your absence long enough?"

"No," Anna pouted half-heartedly, and tore her eyes away from her girlfriend. Elsa took Anna's chin and tilted her till their eyes met once more.

"I would give anything to talk to my mother one more time," Elsa said quietly. "I know you miss yours. It's time to finally face her."

Anna looked between her best guy friend and her girlfriend. The two of them hardly ever stood on the same side of an issue, and they certainly could only, at best, be classified as acquaintances with multiple common friends. Yet here they stood, encouraging Anna to do the one thing she'd been dreading the most since she'd woken up after that fateful sailing trip. Anna huffed in indignation.

"Fine," Anna said with a roll of her eyes. She waved farewell to Kristoff and started pulling Elsa toward where they'd parked this morning.

"What? Right now?"

"If I don't go right now, I'm never going to go," Anna said with determination. A smell wafted past her nose and she changed course quickly.

"The car is this way," Elsa said, trying to tug Anna back on course.

"I know," Anna said in mock irritation to hide her trepidation over what was about to come next. They came to a stop in front of Oaken's booth once more, the large man in a brightly patterned sweater was already plopping whipped cream on two fresh servings of cocoa. "But I'm going to need some chocolate first."

* * *

" _The key is to see in your mind's eye what you want the flames to do," Erik said, gesturing to the small fire between them. "See, my power - thermal manipulation - is all about the heat, not the fire itself. So, if I imagine the flames turning into ice…"_

_The cold that had been kept away by the fire reached Anna as the temperature lowered. She shivered and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Anna reached out and put her hand in the flames and was shocked to feel that they were as icy as Elsa's snow._

" _Can you do that with all things? Like, manipulate the heat in a person or a plant?"_

_Erik nodded and he released his hold on the fire, causing the warmth to spread around Anna once more. They were back up in the cave on the North Mountain. Anna had gotten through her second night of normal, non-"Kaira induced" sleep a little better than the first night. She kept finding herself bombarded with outside emotions whenever she lost consciousness, but it wasn't as awful as she had been afraid it would be. Anna was confident though that she was getting better control. Today was the second day without Kaira around to quickly help her navigate to her castle if needed and things were going great, even without Kristoff around today._

" _The power came in handy when I was younger," her uncle explained. "Most of my elder brothers, and many of my younger ones too, were gifted with powers similar to your fire manipulation. Being able to absorb their attacks was a very useful trick. They would get bored with me and pick on someone else."_

" _Would my father pick on you?" Anna asked quietly._

" _Oh no," Erik responded with a shake of his head. "Mind you, I was very young, but Anders was always looking out for me. Rorik as well, especially after Anders had left home. Though I'm lucky enough to be relatively in the middle of my brothers. There's always someone older or younger than me around to take the heat off, no pun intended."_

_Anna smiled at the small joke and looked over at Liv and Elsa. The older of the two sisters had her eyes closed and was leaning up against the wall of the cave, one hand on Elsa's shoulder. The younger girl was curled up on her side, using Liv's leg as a pillow. They'd all already been there for hours and the sun was starting to set. Liv and Elsa had both refused to leave even when Anna could tell they were getting tired, but Anna's progress in gaining control over the fire was slow coming and she hadn't been ready to quit just yet. They'd both fallen asleep over an hour ago._

" _Uncle Erik," Anna whispered and looked back at him. "What was my father like?"_

" _Kind… and smart," Erik said. After a moment's thought, he frowned. "I was very young when Anders ran away so my memories of him are very few. Have you not asked Rorik?" He didn't bother asking about her mother. Everyone knew by now that Anna was avoiding her._

" _I did once," Anna said, turning her eyes back to the flames as she remembered. "But it makes him very sad. Sometimes just looking at me brings sorrow to his heart. It's a hollow sort of feeling in his chest."_

" _It must be a difficult thing, losing a twin. It was difficult enough losing a brother," Erik said, coming around from the other side of the fire to stand next to her. She turned to look at him again and he smiled at her. "And you do look very much like him."_

" _That's what I'm told, but I've never even seen a picture of him," Anna said dejectedly._

" _I think you should speak to your mother," Erik said with encouraging eyes. "She knew him better than the rest of us. Maybe even better than Rorik." Anna turned away from him in an attempt to keep her uncle from seeing the tears forming in her eyes, but it was too little too late. He placed a hand on her shoulder and an uplifting feeling flooded her core. "Only when you are ready, of course."_

" _Ahem."_

_The two fire users turned to the mouth of the cave. Kaira was standing just inside the opening, back straight and shoulders tight. The usual rolling of conflicting emotions that Kaira went through whenever Erik was around or even mentioned flowed through Anna. Externally, the Mayor remained as stoic as ever. There was no doubt in Anna's mind where Elsa had learned her standoffish Ice Queen tendencies from._

" _Hey, Kai," Erik said, beaming in her direction. "We were just finishing up for today."_

" _Aw, but I haven't mastered anything yet," Anna complained._

" _You still made progress. You'll get there," he reassured her._

" _Of course she will," Kaira said as she walked further into the cave, coming to a stop a few feet from Anna and Erik. "She mastered her empathic powers within two days. It's not a question of her. Perhaps it's her tutor."_

" _Coming right out guns blazing today, I see," Erik said, his smile never faltering. In fact, his smile grew wider the angrier Kaira appeared to become. "Very well. Please tell me how I_ should _be teaching Anna to control her fire powers."_

" _I haven't the time to micromanage you," Kaira said dismissively. She strode over to her two younger sisters and nudged the older of the two with her foot. Liv's eyes fluttered open and she peered around the cave for a moment before she gazed up to her sister. Kaira raised an accusing eyebrow at the half awake woman._

" _Oh hey, Kai," Liv said as she nudged Elsa awake._

" _So much for supervising Anna's training with the Westergaards," Kaira said, irritation clear in her voice._

" _Oh come on, Kai. It's just Erik," Liv said as she stretched her arms above her head, eliciting a yawn from herself, "he's harmless." She looked down to Elsa's still sleeping form. "Really, snowbug? Wakey wakey!"_

" _What's happening?" Elsa said as she sat up and rubbed her eye with the heel of her palm._

" _You're being cute. That's what," Anna said with a smile as she walked over and offered a hand up to her girlfriend. When Elsa took her hand, Anna tugged her off the floor with a bit too much zeal. Elsa practically left her feet and Anna had to catch her, effectively ridding Elsa of any sluggishness she had upon waking. Anna gave her a sheepish look. "Oh sorry, love. Still don't know my own strength."_

" _That's okay. No harm done," Elsa said and gave Anna a kiss. She then turned to Kaira. "I'm famished. Are you here to call us home for dinner?"_

_Kaira nodded. "Yes, snowbug. Let's go girls." Elsa held out a hand to Anna, but the ginger hesitated._

" _Actually, I wanted to try one more time if that's okay?"_

" _Of course, sweetie," Kaira said. She grabbed Liv by the back of her sweater as she walked passed her toward the exit of the cave. "Liv will stay until you're ready to go."_

" _But food…" Liv whined. Kaira gave her a steely, pointed look and Liv sighed. "Yeah, okay. But save me a corner piece. You know how Elsa is with a lasagna."_

" _I haven't a clue what you're talking about," Elsa said innocently._

" _Just go home, snowbug. I'll be right behind you," Kaira said. Elsa gave Anna a kiss and then darted out of the cave. Kaira turned back to Liv and winked. "I made you your own lasagna, smalls. I figured you'd be ravenous after a second day up here."_

" _You're too good to me," Liv said. Kaira smiled and turned to Anna._

" _Don't exert yourself too much, sweetie. One more try and then come to dinner."_

" _Is that an open invitation, Kai?" Erik said coltishly._

_Kaira sent him an intimidating glare, but Anna felt the amusement and butterflies she hid expertly. The Mayor turned back to her sister and Anna. "Girls, please escort Erik to the docks when you're through here."_

" _Sure thing," Liv said with decorum, but the impish smile that she had on was telling. Kaira paid her no mind and followed the same path down the mountain as Elsa. When she was out of sight, Liv turned to Erik. "I've forgiven you for leaving, but Kai has grown more stubborn than you remember. You shouldn't rile her up like that."_

" _I don't mind it so much," Erik said with a shrug. "I'm glad she gets so angry at me."_

_Anna looked at him with a dubious expression. "What? Why?"  
_

" _Because anger is better than nothing," Erik looked at her thoughtfully. "Anger means she at least feels_ something _for me."_

" _Oh," Anna breathed out. She looked out of the cave opening that Kaira had just left through only moments ago. She thought about all the emotions that Kaira always went through when Erik was involved in any situation. Anna turned back to him with an encouraging smile. "Don't give up, Uncle Erik."_

* * *

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Anna looked out of her window at her house, snapping back to reality. There was only one light on. Anna guessed it was the kitchen light from the way the light shined dimly through the small frosted window at the top of the door. The little yellow house looked ominous in the light of the setting sun. Elsa had driven her around the block several times because Anna had lost her resolve over and over all afternoon, but she knew that she needed to do this. She looked back to her girlfriend.

"No," she whispered. "I think I have to do this on my own."

Elsa nodded. She leaned over the center console and Anna moved to meet her. They shared a sweet, tender kiss. Anna pulled that feeling of support Elsa was exuding into her heart.

"Just call if you need me and I'll be here in no time, okay?"

"Okay," Anna said with a smile. "I love you more and more each day."

"In every aspect and in every way," Elsa responded.

They shared one more quick kiss before Anna finally got out of the car. She walked slowly across the yard and climbed the steps to the front door. After unlocking the door, she waved goodbye to Elsa and took a deep breath before she entered her home for the first time in what felt like forever.


	23. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

The house was dim and quiet when she walked in. Anna took off her coat and hung it on one of the hooks by the door. As quietly as she could, she approached the kitchen. Her mother was standing at the sink, her back to the doorway, looking out over the backyard through the small window. Iduna had a patterned, wine colored shawl around her shoulders that Anna couldn't remember ever seeing before, but it was Iduna's posture that mostly caught Anna's attention. Her mother was always perfectly poised - spine straight, shoulders rolled back, a regal sort of elegance coloring her every movement. It was a grace Anna had always been in awe of and, admittedly, immensely jealous.

Now though, her mother was distinctly slumped - back slouched, head tilted, shoulders weighed down by an unseen force. It made her mother look smaller, frail in a way Anna had never imagined possible. The anger she had been feeling all week drained out of her and now all she felt was tired. It was as if that anger had been driving her actions and motivations since she'd awoken as this new person, and now it was like she had no more fuel left to burn. She closed her eyes and opened up the gates to her castle, allowing her mother's emotions to flood inside. Sorrow… longing… regret… guilt… a whole slurry of heaviness filled the courtyard and oozed slowly into the corridors of the castle. Anna's heart clenched and when she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry with tears.

"Mama?" she said quietly. She saw her mother stiffen and stand straighter before turning slowly to look at Anna. When Iduna saw it was truly her, the hands that were tightly clutching the edges of the shawl fell to her side and she took a few quick steps toward Anna, but stopped when her daughter stepped back. A pained expression crossed her mother's face and the grip on Anna's heart tightened. "I'm sorry. Touch is… difficult for me sometimes… since the change."

Iduna nodded slowly. There was a lot she now needed to learn about her daughter; she had come to understand that over the young girl's absence. "How is it right now, little duck?"

"Manageable," Anna said with a shrug. They lived distant enough from the main town square where most of the citizens of Arendelle were currently celebrating Founders' Day that their feelings were but a quiet hum in the back of her mind. Only her mother's feelings filled her senses other than her own, but Anna could shut the gates on her at any time she chose. For now, she wanted to know exactly what Iduna was feeling. She didn't trust her mother to be completely honest just yet.

"I'm happy you've come home," Iduna said.

"I don't know if I'm home," Anna said with a little bite, instinctively lashing out against the sudden heartache she felt from her mother. It was easier to be angry than sad, Anna decided, and she realized after the words were out of her mouth that it was true. She hadn't made a decision on whether or not she was ready to come back to her room here. A small swell of anger hit Anna as Iduna's expression hardened.

"I know this is a hard time for you, Anna, but I cannot just allow you to keep living with your girlfriend," Iduna said firmly.

"It's not like anything is going on," Anna said, her ears burning both in anger (her own and her mother's) and embarrassment at the implication. "I'm not living _with_ Elsa. We're sleeping a whole floor apart."

"This is not up for discussion," Iduna responded. "I expect you to be back home before school resumes."

"Fine," Anna said bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Iduna sighed and wiped a hand down her face. This wasn't at all going how she wanted. It seemed she was doing everything wrong so Iduna changed tactics. "Would you like me to make the special cocoa?"

Anna's excitement was instantaneous and she knew it showed because her mother smiled. She just wanted to be angry right now. Was that really too much to ask? Anna gave Iduna a single nod before the young girl sat down at the small kitchen table. She watched as her mother poured milk into a saucepan and started gently warming it on the stove before searching the cabinet for the high end cacao powder and sugar. Anna studied Iduna's profile and noticed that her mother looked more tired than usual. Her hair had lost its sheen, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked a little thinner than the last time Anna had seen her. She tore her eyes away as guilt wound its way around her chest, quickly followed by more anger. She didn't want to feel guilty and that made her irrationally upset.

"You're going to burn the milk, little duck," her mother said calmly. Anna's eyes snapped over to the stove. The low flame her mother had set was now doubled in size due to her mood shift. Anna took several deep relaxing breaths and imagined the flames shrinking back to the size they were a moment before. Iduna lowered the saucepan of milk she had lifted above the flames back down to the burner. "Very impressive, my darling. Kaira said you had been progressing well with your training."

"The fire control is still difficult for me usually, but I… Wait... Kai kept you updated?"

Iduna turned her head to look at her without interrupting her pot stirring. "Just on your well being - if you were eating enough, or sleeping well; how your training was going. Nothing personal though, no matter how much I asked. I'm sure you didn't expect that I'd stand for being kept completely in the dark."

Anna blinked. "No, I guess not."

Iduna finished preparing the cocoa and grabbed two mugs along with a pack of mini-marshmallows. After serving up the drinks and turning off the stove, she joined Anna at the table and pushed the purple mug embossed with an 'A' to her daughter who immediately took a big gulp. Anna no longer paid any mind to the temperatures of her beverages or food now. They sat quietly for a few minutes, thoughtfully sipping their chocolatey drinks.

"You must have many questions," Iduna said, breaking the silence. Anna looked at her mother's concerned expression and she felt that tightness in the back of her throat that usually preceded her tears. She shrugged and downed the rest of her cocoa as a distraction. Iduna took her mug and went back to the stove, returning quickly with another serving for her daughter. "You can ask me anything you want, Anna. I will tell you everything."

Anna met her eyes once more. She saw the earnestness in her mother's expression, and felt the accompanying sincerity rolling off her person. The tears she had been trying to hold back started forming in the corners of her eyes. There were so many questions she had. There was just so much that Anna didn't understand or didn't know and she couldn't begin to even fathom the secrets her mother might have. Where was she supposed to start when she didn't even know where the lies stopped? She wanted to know about her father and how her mother had hidden them so well. She needed her mother to tell her everything that she'd kept from her... And then it occurred to her - the source of all her anger. The only thing that she didn't know that upset her the most. The _one_ question she wanted an answer to.

"Why?" Anna whispered, voice cracking from her attempt to keep from crying.

Iduna's eyebrows drew together very slightly in a controlled frown. "Did Elsa not share the story with you? I'm happy to tell you myself, but I would have thought you'd make her tell you what she knows."

"She did, and that part I get. You hid us to keep us safe," Anna said. She sniffled and swiped at her eyes to catch the tears before they could fall. "But why did you keep it from me? Why hide the _truth_ from _me_?"

"I… I don't know," Iduna said quietly.

"You don't know?" Anna scoffed, her anger flaring once more. Anna had prepared herself for all the different outcomes her imagination could come up with, but this one had never occurred to her. The idea that her mother didn't have an answer for her felt unjust and cruel. The tears started flowing freely now in response to her quiet fury. Anna always hated how she cried when she was mad, like her tears belittled her ire somehow. "How can you not know?!"

Her mother set down her mug then looked at Anna with sad eyes, meeting her daughter's fury with a warm, but hesitant, calm. "At first, I decided you were too young. You wouldn't understand and there was no reason to alert you to your father's world - we were well hidden, and I didn't see any immediate danger. As you got older, I told myself there was no reason to burden you with my secrets; ones that you would only then also have to keep. Then years passed and your father's binding remained intact. I figured there was no point in telling you about powers that may never manifest. I thought I could at least give you a normal childhood.

"I know you deserved the truth - about who you are, who your father was - but I waited. For what, I'm not exactly sure," her mother said. She pulled her scarf tighter around her shoulders. "For myself, probably. To save me from having to relive it; to avoid having to explain to you the world you've been torn from. Eventually, it got to the point where I thought it was too late; that the time where it was acceptable to tell you about our past had come and gone. I hoped I'd never have to tell you, and I thought it would be easier for both of us if I didn't. It's a poor excuse and you deserved much better from me."

Her mother's grief flooded within her and Anna's breath hitched from the torrent. Its gravity pulled her down and Anna fought against it. Gritting her teeth in focus, she pushed her mother's grief out and shut the gates of her mind's castle. All that remained was a fire inside of her that burned white hot and her tears ran ceaselessly down her freckled cheeks.

"You're right, I did," Anna said, embracing the raging fire within, the void left by her mother's emotions giving it the space to burn. Her voice came out in a controlled fury, a quiet sort of anger simmering underneath and growing to a boil as she continued her rant. "I deserved to know everything. We weren't supposed to keep things from each other. It's always been you and me, mom! Now everything… everything feels... tainted with lies and deceit! It's not fair!"

"I know. I'm sorry -"

"No! 'Sorry' doesn't change the fact that you lied to me my whole life! Can you imagine what it was like? Waking up to find out who my family is from Elsa? Having the girl you love explain that you're related to the people that killed her parents?" Anna was shouting now, and Iduna winced at the verbal assault. Anna stood up and started pacing the short length of the kitchen, trying to control the fire that was trying to erupt from inside of her. "Do you know what it's like? Suddenly having this… this huge, overwhelming change happen to you instantly? I was so… scared, mom! I didn't know what was happening to me, or if there was something wrong inside of me. And all I wanted was to see you, but then Kai put me to sleep… and when I woke up, I found out that everything I am… everything I knew… it was all a farce!"

A candle her mother had burning on the window sill above the sink suddenly grew bigger than should be possible from the one small wick, bathing the kitchen in warmth and bright light. Anna spun around and looked into the flames for a moment, basking in its fervor before she came to her senses. She took several deep breaths and slowly extinguished the flame and, subsequently, reducing her anger. Shaking her head, she turned back around to her mother. Iduna had stood up, afraid that the flames would catch on something before her daughter could find the control, but now she looked at Anna sympathetically.

"I understand why you're angry. You have every right to be angry with me," Iduna said softly. She took one hesitant step forward, but Anna flinched back, her movement impeded as she came up against the stove, and tore her gaze away to stare at the moon through the window above the sink. Iduna stopped and sighed. "I know it doesn't seem this way now, but I've always just had your best interest in mind. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy and healthy. It was selfish of me to think our happiness depended on me keeping this big thing from you. If I could go back and change things, I… No. You know what? I wouldn't change a thing."

Anna's head jerked up and looked at her mother with a frown, but Iduna held up her hands to preemptively cut off the sure tirade that Anna was about to unleash. She quickly continued her explanation before Anna could yell anymore.

"There are so many things I wish were different - I wish your father was still here, I wish my relationship with my parents wasn't so insubstantial, I wish I didn't so heinously betray your trust," Iduna said, her own tears spilling delicately as she spoke. She took another, more deliberate step toward Anna, but still kept her distance. The last thing Iduna wanted was to make Anna feel even more trapped. She very slowly raised a hand to brush Anna's bangs from her eyes, just like she had countless times before. When her daughter didn't turn away, she finished the motion, careful to only make contact with the ginger hair, before pulling back, not wanting to push Anna past her capabilities before their conversation was done. "But despite all of my wishes, if given the chance to have them all come true, I would not take it. I would not trade the life I had with you… this life I _have_ with you... for anything. You are the greatest of all my wishes to ever come true. Be angry with me all you need, but know that, ultimately, I am unequivocally on your side."

They stood still for a long time, neither North woman making a move to disturb the air around them. Iduna watched her daughter slowly close her eyes and marveled at how much Anna had changed in a week. Anna was always so unapologetically rambunctious, teetering constantly between unintended disasters and utter chaos. To see her stand so perfectly still, to achieve a level of stoicism that Iduna never thought she'd be capable of was a testament to how much she had needed to grow up in a matter of days, and Iduna wondered just when her small daughter had become a young woman.

Anna concentrated on herself - diving deep and sorting out everything inside. She tried to categorize all the emotions that were swirling in her mind. What feelings were hers? Which were her mother's? Which ones were something else entirely? After what felt like ages, Anna slowly opened her eyes, confident that she'd navigated the puzzle of her own feelings, and met her mother's gaze once again.

"I'm not angry anymore," Anna said quietly. The furious fire that had been inside of her had died down, extinguished completely just like the flame upon the candle moments ago, by her mother's quiet, soothing voice, and was replaced once more with the fatigue she felt in its absence. "I'm just so… hurt, Mama. It was one thing, waking up and learning about who I really am... But to find out that you _knew._ You knew all along and you never told me… It was like an icy cold knife to my heart, Mama."

"I never, _ever_ meant to hurt you, my darling," Iduna said in a whisper, tears again shining in her eyes as well. "Please believe that."

"I want to believe you…" Anna said quietly, voice cracking in the wake of all her tears and shouting. Without the angry fire in her belly, she felt like she was falling into herself; like a supernova collapsing into a blackhole. She watched her mother take another small, tentative step closer to her. Anna instinctively wanted to step back, but she was already against the still warm stove. Her mother extended one hand out to her and Anna looked up to meet her eyes. The longing, pleading look in her mother's gaze caught her off guard, and Anna took a breath before placing one of her hands into her mother's.

Anna closed her eyes as her mother's emotions flooded her senses - sincerity… understanding… reassurance… caring… nurturing… trust… but most of all - love. A love so pure that it lifted all the darkness around her, made her feel lighter and renewed. It reignited the sun, the gravity of the blackhole of despair reversing. A love so true that Anna's knees gave out, sobbing as she fell apart in their small kitchen. Iduna caught her daughter and gathered her into her arms, wrapping them both in her scarf and cried quietly with her, rocking her daughter gently and rubbing small circles on Anna's back. In that moment, Anna realized that her life was exactly as she always believed once more - one mother, one daughter, no secrets.

* * *

"He looks as fun as I imagined," Anna said with a little sense of wonder as she turned the page.

They were in her mother's room, cuddled together in the center of the bed. After a long cry together on the kitchen floor, and after Anna's tears had been completely spent, Iduna had led them both into the master bedroom. Her mother had pressed a panel on the base of her bed frame and a secret compartment popped open. Within the hidden drawer was a large, thin box. The first thing Anna grabbed from the box when her mother set it in Anna's lap was the small photo album which she immediately began meticulously combing through.

"He was, yes. It was one of the things about him that I fell in love with instantly - fun loving and carefree. You had to get it from somewhere," Iduna said affectionately. She ran a hand along the cheek of one of the photos of her late husband and then she looked at her daughter with a sad smile. "You take after him in so many ways. For that, I am very thankful."

Anna smiled softly back at her mom and then looked to the photos once more. Her dad looked a lot like her Uncle Rorik - same color hair, same freckled face, same shade of blue-green eyes - all traits that seemed to have passed down to Anna as well. Though the similarities were apparent, the twins looked vastly different. While her Uncle Rorik was a serious sort of man, with a slightly overhanging brow and pointed features, her father was much more boyish - rounded cheeks and chin, wide set eyes, and a much less pronounced nose. Granted, these pictures of her father were of him much younger than what her uncle is today, but she couldn't imagine her father from the pictures could grow to look as severe as Rorik.

Anna turned another page and gasped. There was a picture of her father holding a bundle in his arms, a tuft of ginger hair peeking out from within the blankets. The right side of the book had a couple of pictures of all three members of their little family smiling on a sandy beach. Anna guessed she was only a few months old then. She turned the pages with wonder, looking at each new photo with care. Her father pushing her on a swing, feeding her mashed carrots, sleeping together with her on his chest… memories that Anna had never been privy to before.

"We look so happy," Anna whispered as she stopped at a picture of the little family in front of a Christmas tree, the first and only Christmas they got to spend together.

"Very much, yes," Iduna said with a small smile. She reached into the box and pulled out a crushed red velvet square. Iduna held it out to Anna, who let her mother gently lay it in her outstretched hand. "He had this made for you for that first Christmas. I didn't want to put it on you that young, the edges are rather pointed and I was afraid you might hurt yourself. Plus, children tend to lose jewelry."

Anna looked at the small box in her hand. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating. It was a gift from her father, the only gift he'd ever been able to give her. _That's not exactly true. He also gifted me with this relationship with Nature without my even knowing_ , she thought, the very idea bringing a slight sheen to her eyes. She blinked it away and cracked open the box, gasping slightly at what she found. Inside was a dainty, child-sized bracelet with one rhombus shaped charm hanging from it. She looked at the small ornament carefully, running one finger over the progression of inlaid diamond shapes she recognized from the storybook she'd found what felt like so long ago. Anna very gently lifted the bracelet from the box to hold it closer to the light, and she noticed a small ruby gem comprised the center diamond.

"It's the fire symbol," Anna said in a whisper.

"That's what he told me," Iduna said, nodding and leaning closer to get a look at it as well. It had been a long time since she'd had the courage to open this box of memories. She'd forgotten how lovely the little custom piece was. "It's much too small for you now, but I can easily have the chain replaced for you."

Anna turned her head to look at her mother, eyes wide. "Really?"

Iduna nodded once more. "The symbol connects you to your Papa, something I've denied you for far too long," she said with a regretful frown. "You should wear it. To keep him close."

"That sounds wonderful," Anna said quietly, clearing her throat lightly to rid herself of the tightness from holding in a fresh batch of tears. She was determined not to cry anymore tonight. _Seriously, how do even I have any tears left?_ Anna reached over to hand her mother both the jewelry and its case.

"Keep in mind though, should we expect any of your father's family to visit the island, you must take it off," Iduna said in a quiet, but firm voice. Anna looked at her mother's serious expression questioningly. "You cannot let them discover who you are. Your father was very clear - they will find a way to use your gifts for their own gain. It's best we be safe."

Anna nodded slowly. Her mother was much more informed than she realized. "I'll make sure to take it off if anyone but Uncle Rorik or Uncle Erik are expected to be here." Iduna nodded her agreement and carefully placed the bracelet back in its box.

"I noticed, the last night I saw you, that Elsa wears hers as a necklace. I think that's much more practical. It's less likely to get snagged on things than if you wear it on your wrist," Iduna responded, admiring the bracelet once more before closing the case. She looked at Anna with bright eyes. "Would you like that?"

Anna gave it some thought and nodded her agreement. "I would hate to lose it, and I think that would be less likely to happen if it were attached to my head."

Iduna laughed at that, causing Anna to smile for what felt like the first genuine time since she'd returned home earlier that night. "I would have to agree. I always say you'd lose your head -"

"If it weren't attached to my body," Anna finished for her. Iduna raised her eyebrows at her and Anna rolled her eyes. "Don't be so shocked. I listen to you, Mama," she said, her voice quieting to a hush. "I always do."

"I know, little duck," Iduna said, kissing the top of Anna's head. "I'll be right back. I'm going to put this in my purse. I'll take it to a jeweler tomorrow."

Anna returned her attention to the photo album in her lap as her mother left with the small box toward the front of the house. Anna started recognizing the settings in the pictures. They matched the timeline of a lot of the early pictures from the other many photo albums her mother kept throughout the house. It was clear that Iduna had taken all the photos of her father from those albums and moved them to this one, a well kept secret apparition from the first year of her life. When she reached the very back page, there were two photos that both felt out of place and exactly where they should be.

"Your grandparents."

Anna looked up and saw her mother standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a steaming mug. Anna wondered how long she had stood there watching her. Iduna re-entered her bedroom and set the mug on the nightstand before taking her spot on the bed next to Anna once more. Iduna pointed to the first photo of two young, ginger-haired boys, no older than nine. Anna noted how her father and his twin looked nearly identical at this age compared to how different she'd imagined they would look from each other now. They were sitting between a rather imposing looking, mustachioed man and a beautiful woman with auburn hair so dark, it almost appeared brown if not for the sunlight gleaming off it.

"I never met Andy's mother, but he loved her very much. It pained him to know he'd hurt her so much by running away with me," her mother explained. "Lilianna. He named you after her."

"She looks kind," Anna mused before she remembered something. "Hans said his mother died five years ago."

Iduna looked at her, a new sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that, my darling," she said. She looked back down at the album. Anna followed her eyes and her own fell on the second picture. Her mother looked like she couldn't be much more than twelve in the photograph, sitting between her two parents in what appeared to be a very serious, very professional portrait. The expressions on all three faces looked to more fit an oil painting of royalty needing to sit still for hours as they have their likeness captured rather than of a simple family photo session.

"You look like her," Anna said after a quiet moment.

"So I've been told many times."

"Though, definitely not as…" Anna paused to think. _What's the right word? Snobby? No, that's rude…_ "severe."

Her mother attempted to stifle her chuckle. "That was a very kind way to phrase what most kids I hear these days call… what was it?... Resting bitch face?"

"Language!" Anna's eyes went wide. "You really shouldn't go on the internet, mother. It'll corrupt you." Iduna allowed herself to fully laugh and Anna joined in on her mirth. After the laughter died down, she closed the book and looked at her mother once more. "Was she as stern as she looked?"

Iduna nodded. "More so, really. She was grounded in tradition, convinced that the stories passed down on the island were as true as the science I believed in," she replied, her eyes looking distantly, as if she were seeing something Anna could not. "It was a disappointment to her that I seemed so ready to toss it all aside as an old wives tale. It wasn't until your father had to tell me about your gifts, and in turn his own, did I realize how accurate my mother's beliefs were, but my stubbornness against admitting my own faults kept me away."

"Elsa said the island where your hometown is isn't very far from here. We could go visit them together," Anna suggested.

"If only it were that simple, little duck. Yet another thing I have robbed you of in all my selfishness," Iduna said, turning her tear filled eyes to her daughter once more. Anna tried to brace herself. She put the rest of her mental energy into holding shut the gates of her castle against the onslaught she anticipated from her mother. "I learned she passed, only a few years after my father did. You would have been about seven then."

Her mother's grief crashed over her for the second time tonight. It weighed heavy in Anna's heart and immediately brought tears to her eyes, pain within her chest, and a tightness in her shoulders. The remorse and despair became too much for Anna to handle. The night had already been filled with enough burden, and she just couldn't take anymore of it. She untangled herself from her mother and made for the door at an inhuman speed. Her mother blinked in surprise at Anna's sudden disappearance from beside her. Anna turned back from the open doorway just as Iduna's eyes fell on her as she scanned the room.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. It's just too much, but I'll be back. I promise," she said quickly, just barely above a whisper. After her mother gave her a small understanding smile and a slight nod, Anna sped out the door at the back of the kitchen leading to the backyard and the wood beyond it.

Her new favorite thing to do was run. The rush from the speed, the chill of the air on her unnaturally warm skin, the way her feet barely touched the ground as she dashed about. There was a thrill she'd never felt before as she darted between trees on her way to Elsa's house. It also helped that she was less prone to tripping over her own feet now. She hadn't bothered contacting Elsa to tell her that she was on the way. Anna knew that once she was a couple miles within the Aren Manor, their bond would let Elsa know she was approaching.

Anna burst through the tree line and made to stop, but her momentum dragged her further than she anticipated. Her heart skipped as she skidded along and realized that she was headed straight for the glass wall that separated the kitchen from the backyard of the Manor. Elsa was there just in time though, catching Anna around the waist before she could crash through the double paned windows, pulling her in close, and steadying her within her strong embrace.

"Thanks, love," Anna said and gave Elsa a kiss. "I guess I need to work on my brakes."

"Knowing how to stop would be helpful," Elsa quipped, giving Anna a crooked smile. "I'll have to mention to Liv that she should also work on that with you. It's not all about speed, you know?"

"That's because Elsie-kins here is a slowpoke," Liv said from the doorway, giving the girls a shock. They jumped apart instinctively and Liv smirked at them. "She says speed doesn't matter because she knows she can't beat me in a race. It's a clever defense mechanism."

Elsa rolled her eyes and turned her head to her sister. "Did you need something, dear sister?"

"Just chaperoning," Liv said.

"Olivia, let the girls be," Kaira's voice called from somewhere within the house. Liv huffed theatrically.

"Fine," she said, pushing herself off the sliding door she had been leaning on. She pointed two fingers at her eyes and then turned her hand to point them at the girls. "Six inches, sweet squashy little baby echidnas."

"Puggles," Anna said.

"Nature's blessings to you, Anna," Liv responded.

"No. Baby echidnas are… ya know what? Nevermind," Anna said as she shook her head with a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Liv shrugged and headed inside. Once she was out of sight, Anna turned back to Elsa and hugged her around the middle. She rested her right ear on Elsa's sternum, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, feeling comforted when she felt Elsa's chin easily rest on the top of her head with Elsa's strong arms wrapping her shoulders. "I know it's only been a few hours, but I missed you. Does that make me sound crazy?"

"If it does, then I'll need my own padded room too," Elsa said with a chuckle. She started to let go but then felt Anna's arms squeeze a little tighter. Elsa frowned, but she stayed put and hugged her girlfriend closer. "Are you okay, my love? Did it not go well with you mom?"

"It was… a lot," Anna said and let out a heavy breath. She focused on Elsa. While there was a slight worry under Elsa's feelings, the main emotions Anna felt coming from her now was comfort and love. Anna let the warm feelings wash away the cold grief, making her feel renewed and she felt herself relax for the first time since she'd entered her home earlier this evening.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Not now. I needed to get away from all the sadness for a bit. It just got to be… too much," Anna said quietly. She pulled away a little, and Elsa allowed her arms to fall from Anna's shoulders until her hands rested on the ginger's upper arms. Anna tilted her head upward and Elsa sensed what she wanted, bending down to give her a quick kiss before touching their foreheads together. Anna sighed once more and continued to whisper. "I don't know how I'm going to do this, Els. It's all so overwhelming. There's so many emotions on just this little island. This past week made me overconfident on what I'm capable of, but today was so hard… And that's just Arendelle! Will I not be able to see the rest of the world? What if I'm never able to control this?"

"You won't have to do it alone, Anna. I will be right by your side. We'll do this together," Elsa whispered back, her voice holding a promise for her. Anna broke the connection and averted her gaze. Elsa searched her face for a moment, a little confused by Anna's sudden reticence. "What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just… I had a thought earlier, but it's silly. At least… I hope it's silly," Anna said, not meeting Elsa's gaze. Elsa took her chin gently and turned Anna back to look at her. Anna sighed at Elsa's questioning look, one brow cocked up and her head tilted slightly. "I was thinking about how hard it must have been for you - to learn that I'm a Westergaard. I know how you feel about them, and I wouldn't blame you if this was too hard for you now."

Elsa frowned and Anna felt guilt bubble up over the more positive emotions that Elsa was feeling a moment ago. Her own panic broke out in Anna's chest as worry that she was correct filled her, but then Elsa leaned in and kissed her gently, quelling the sudden mix of anxiety and fear. When she pulled away, Elsa smiled that crooked one that Anna loved most.

"I will not lie to you, Anna. The thought had occurred to me. My prejudice against the Westergaard family runs very deep," Elsa said sadly. It was now her turn to look away from those teal orbs. "I am ashamed to admit that when your mother confirmed who your father is, my first reaction was one of distaste and rejection," she confirmed, her brow furrowing deeply. "But I quickly shook it off, my disgust turned inward instead. Your father's last name doesn't change who you are. The family you've never known doesn't make you any less the wonderful person I fell in love with. To consider that this new information could change how I see you, even fleetingly…" Elsa paused her self directed admonition and sighed, looking Anna in the eyes once more. "I do not deserve you in the slightest. I just hope you can forgive my momentary lapse in judgement."

Anna reached up and put her hands on either side of Elsa's face, forcing the blonde to look at her. There were tears shining in those ocean blue eyes and it brought empathetic ones to match in Anna's. She couldn't stand that Elsa had been carrying this, on top of all the other weight she placed on her own shoulders. Anna never wanted Elsa to feel so burdened. Without thinking, Anna's lips crashed into Elsa's, fervently trying to make Elsa know that she understood and that Anna could never blame her for anything. This kiss was different from every kiss before it - it was heated and full of passion as Anna showed her through action how deeply her love ran.

"There's nothing to forgive, love," Anna said when they finally broke apart. Their breathing was heavy; labored after the intense moment. The tears in their eyes were now of happiness and contentment. As the heated passion tempered down, Anna felt a sudden wave of amusement and appreciation hit her. Her eyes automatically tore away from Elsa's and she gazed at the house. Anna whispered as quietly as she could. "I think we have an audience."

Elsa tilted her head slightly, angling her left ear toward the house. Anna assumed Elsa heard something because she rolled her eyes and looked back at Anna.

"Want to get out of here?" Elsa whispered. The rush from the kiss still had Elsa flushed and she felt like she needed to go on a run to burn off the sudden high. Plus, there was a secret spot she wanted to show Anna. It was far away from the center of town and Elsa believed the empath would find some solace in the little secluded cove, and it was much easier to get to than the cave up on the North Mountain.

"Yes, please," Anna whispered back, a huge smile lighting up the dark yard. Elsa turned her head to speak toward the house, but Kaira's voice interrupted her.

" _Just be home by eleven. You girls have fun."_

 _Thanks, Kai,_ Elsa thought back and she winked at Anna.

" _Not too much fun, snowbug._ "

Elsa giggled, making Anna raise a curious eyebrow at her. The blonde just shook her head lightly and gave Anna a crooked little grin. "Stick close."

They both shot into the woods and down the trail that marked the path from Aren Manor toward the Corona Nature Park and Wildlife Reservation, the world around them illuminated only by the moonlight. When they passed the Rangers Station, Elsa led Anna down one of the smaller eastern trails that snaked through the trees toward the coast. When they hit the eastern shore, Elsa came to a stop on the pebbly beach, snagging the back of Anna's sweater with her fingertips before she went sliding out into the frigid water. She gave Anna a playful smirk when a blush bloomed underneath the ginger's freckles over her second display of faulty brakes that night. Elsa took Anna's left hand in her right and guided her up the beach, heading further north.

After a short walk, they came up to a small cliff wall, about fifteen feet high. Elsa let go of Anna's hand and found the familiar small ledge just big enough for her to step on. She used it to jump up onto the small ledge about halfway up the rock face. She turned and knelt down, to grab Anna's hand and hoist her up, but she wasn't where Elsa had left her on the beach. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Anna grinning at her. With a small laugh, Elsa gestured to the rock wall behind her, several strategically placed foot and hand holes led the rest of the way up to the crest of the cliff. Anna followed behind Elsa on the short climb, shamelessly admiring her view. When Elsa reached the top of the cliff, she turned and offered a hand to Anna, helping her to her feet. Anna let out a small gasp as she took in the sight of a little cove below them surrounded on all sides by high cliffs.

"It's beautiful here," Anna said in wonder as they trekked down the steady incline from the cliff down into the small secluded beach.

"I like to come here when I need room to think," Elsa said, helping Anna down onto the glittering rocky shore by holding onto the small girl's waist as she jumped off a rock. "It's difficult for most others to get over the cliffs, so I find I'm not usually disturbed."

"Usually?"

"I've often lost track of time here. On those occasions, Liv or Kai usually come find me to bring me home. Sometimes Rapunzel." Elsa led Anna by the hand to a large flat rock a little ways off from where the water was crashing onto the beach, but Anna suspected that, during high tide, this rock would be surrounded by water with the top just being out of reach from the waves. Being an Aren though, Anna was sure Elsa didn't mind trudging through a little ocean water to get to this perch when she was feeling pensive. "Like the North Mountain, this small fjord is far from town. I wanted to share it with you. You can come here when you feel overwhelmed or need to get away."

Anna scooched in closer, allowing Elsa to wrap an arm around her as she laid her head on Elsa's shoulder. "And would you come with me?"

"If that is what you want, of course I will."

She lifted her head and turned to look at Elsa. Her girlfriend met her gaze, eyes impossibly bright in the moonlit night. "That is always what I want," Anna said in a more serious tone than she planned.

Elsa smiled. "Then I will be right here," she answered, hugging Anna tighter to her side.

Anna leaned in and planted a kiss on Elsa's lips. She was happy to have learned that the unbinding of her powers didn't change what kissing Elsa felt like. If anything, it made it much more intense. While it still gave her butterflies, that an unencumbered energy now sizzled like lightning between them. Anna felt Elsa's arm loosen from around her shoulders as she turned to face her better. The angle was still awkward though, and without much thinking, Anna swung her lower half around, deftly positioning herself until she straddled Elsa's lap without so much as breaking their connection. Elsa moved her hands to Anna's waist while Anna buried her fingers in Elsa's thick platinum braid. Then she felt Elsa's tongue brush along her bottom lip and a shock ran through her like none before. She parted her lips, allowing Elsa entrance, and Anna couldn't suppress the soft moan that escaped her throat when she did.

The air around them grew heady and their breathing fervent. Elsa's grip on her hips tightened and she pulled Anna closer until they sat flush against one another. Anna felt a warmth growing inside of her, an all encompassing fire burning within her - a yearning she was certain wasn't entirely all her own as Elsa's emotions flowed through their bond to her, doubling everything she was already feeling. She tore her lips from Elsa's, trailing kisses along her pale jaw until her teeth grazed Elsa's ear. Anna smiled in satisfaction when she heard Elsa's quick intake of breath at the sensation before she focused her attention to planting deliberate kisses below Elsa's ear... the angle of her jaw… down the side of her neck.

"Anna," Elsa gasped. Anna chuckled breathily, relishing in the wanton tenor of Elsa's naturally raspy voice. She felt a light tug on her ponytail as Elsa pulled her back and crashed their lips together once more. A small rush of wind passed her ears and she suddenly felt a hard surface on her back, a pressure on her front. She opened her eyes to find Elsa had easily flipped them over, laying Anna down gently and holding herself on her arms above Anna. Elsa returned the favor, causing Anna's eyes to roll back and close while she left a line of kisses from Anna's mouth to her jaw to her collar, giving extended attention to a particular spot that seemed to make Anna squirm beneath her. That burning desire raged feverishly.

"Elsa," Anna breathed out… and then suddenly, a cold breeze hit her. Anna opened her eyes to find that Elsa was no longer on the rock with her. She sat up and looked around the cove, and her eyes quickly fell to Elsa about fifty feet away, the light from the moon reflecting ethereally off of her bright braid and pale skin.

"Sorry, love. Just give me a moment," Elsa whispered. Anna could see her chest heaving as Elsa tried to slow down her breathing. She decided to take the opportunity to do the same, trying to quell that fire inside that had pushed her actions into such a passionate situation. After several minutes, Elsa walked over slowly and sat beside Anna, but deliberately left several inches of space between them.

"I got carried away," Anna said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Elsa met her gaze, worry clear on her face, but it soon gave way to that lopsided little smile of which Anna never tired. "Don't be sorry. I got caught up in the moment too, but…"

"But we're not ready for that," Anna finished for her after a beat. Elsa's gaze grew intense, her ocean blue eyes obviously swirling with so many conflicting thoughts, but eventually she nodded. Anna returned the nod. "I agree," she said before she scooched in closer again and slowly laid her head on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa wrapped her arm around Anna, resuming their position from before things had gotten heated. They stared out over the waves for a while before Anna broke the silence once more in a light voice. "I must say, though, it was very nice."

She didn't need to look at Elsa to know the perfect smirk and small dimple were on display. "Yes, very much so," Elsa said and placed a kiss to the top of Anna's head. "I love you."

"I love you too, Elsa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright - AO3 is now caught up to FFnet. For all my new readers joining me here, welcome! And I typically update once a week on Sundays. I haven't missed an update yet, so hopefully I can keep it up. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Thanks to my BETA (my bestest sister)! See y'all tomorrow.


	24. The Assessment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**27 March 2020**

Elsa was already waiting outside of Anna's third period Spanish class when she exited the room, dragging her feet sluggishly and massaging a temple. That unmistakable tug drew Anna's eyes up to Elsa's concerned gaze and the blonde extended a hand toward her. Anna reached out eagerly, feeling instantly better upon contact as Elsa's compassion drowned out the rest of the student body's bombardment of emotions to her senses. She let Elsa pull her in and hold her close.

"Rough morning?" Elsa asked, resting a cheek on the top of Anna's head.

"Teenagers are just so full of angst," Anna whined quietly. "It's hard to keep them all out. Their emotions are so heavy. It seeps in slowly through every tiny crack."

"Well, then it's a good thing you have me here," Elsa said.

"Oh please," Anna chuckled. "You can be the worst offender."

Elsa considered that for a moment before she shrugged. "Not when I'm with you, though."

"Hm. I guess you're right," Anna responded. She hugged Elsa tighter and sighed. "I have a headache."

"I'm sorry, love," Elsa whispered. She kissed the top of her head. "Better?"

"A little," Anna said, lifting her head up to look at Elsa. Her girlfriend smirked and kissed her on the forehead. "Better still."

Elsa kissed her on the tip of the nose, but Anna only raised an eyebrow at her. The blonde brushed Anna's bangs aside and then used her hand to tilt the smaller girl's chin up slightly in order to plant a gentle kiss to her lips.

"And now?"

"Cured," Anna said with a smile. However, a large group of band members walked by not a moment later, and Anna sighed in defeat as multiple outside feelings hit her again. Elsa frowned as Anna rubbed her temple once more, and gave her another kiss.

"Come on. You'll feel better once you eat something," Elsa said encouragingly and led Anna toward the cafeteria. They got their food and sat down with Rapunzel and Eugene, Anna immediately slumping and holding her head in the one hand that wasn't clinging desperately to Elsa.

"Bad day today, Anna?" Raps said, her tone attempting to be light, but concern evident underneath.

"I think half the girls in school are PMS-ing," Anna lamented. Rapunzel winced in sympathy before she pushed her chocolate pudding cup across the table to her. Anna smiled weakly at her best friend. "Thanks, boo."

"Do you want me to attend to that headache before Biology?"

"Maybe," Anna said before taking a bite out of her slice of pizza. A sudden surge of jealousy, betrayal, and just a little hostility assaulted her mind. Her eyes flicked over to Eugene sitting next to Raps' right. He had already turned around and started joking with the other boys from the hockey and lacrosse teams. She tried to shake off the feeling, but her own anger began bubbling over.

Eugene still hadn't spoken to her yet since he'd returned home from his family vacation to Maui and found out that Anna was also River Born. At first Anna understood - he had been the only mortal privy to the knowledge about the Nature blessed families of Arendelle for a long time. It had been a relief to have Anna to talk to and relate with; they'd bonded over their shared experiences. Now, though, Anna was yet another super strong, super fast, superpowered individual while he remained ordinary, and she had understood how that could be frustrating for the boy. But it's now been two weeks, and Anna was getting real tired of the animosity. Not only did she not deserve it (she can't help who her father was), but his negative feelings literally made her sick to her stomach.

"Something wrong?" Elsa asked when she noticed Anna set her pizza down.

"I'm not very hungry," Anna half-lied. Elsa knew her too well though. Anna caught Elsa's eyes flitting over to the varsity athlete briefly before she looked back at Anna.

"You need the energy. You're training with Liv and Erik today," Elsa said soothingly. She pushed Anna's plate closer to her in encouragement. She leaned in and let Anna rest her forehead against hers. Elsa focused on the affection she felt for Anna. Her girlfriend's strength over the last three weeks was awe inspiring, and Elsa's heart was so full of love, she thought she might burst with it. She felt Anna relax at the contact and whispered to her. "He'll come around eventually. No one can remain indifferent to you for long; try as they might. Trust me, I know that very well."

"I remember," Anna responded, giving Elsa a playfully hard look to which the blonde sent that half-smile that made Anna melt inside like a snowman next to a roaring fire. Anna leaned back slightly and tore her gaze away from Elsa so she could think clearly. "So you're saying I should put myself in constant danger, requiring him to save my life time and time again until one day he confesses his love for me?"

"That did prove effective the first time," Rapunzel quipped, a sly smile on her face.

"I guess he _is_ handsome," Anna shrugged. "I could do worse."

"Okay, you two are going to give me a complex," Elsa muttered sulkily. Rapunzel and Anna both laughed lightly, and Anna leaned over and planted a quick peck on Elsa's cheek.

"I'm only teasing you, love," Anna said sweetly. "You know I only have eyes for you. You're gorgeous and ridiculously hot. I'm not sure how I got so lucky."

"Alright… You're going to make her as big headed as Eugene over here," Raps said, nodding her head in his direction with a chuckle.

"What's that, babe?" Eugene asked, turning to Rapunzel.

"Nothing, dear. Anna was just agreeing with me that you're handsome," Rapunzel responded, and gestured pointedly to Anna with her eyes. Eugene glanced briefly at Anna and nodded once at her before he turned back to the rowdy boys at the next table. The resentment coming from Eugene hit Anna once more and she rolled her neck out in response, a couple of pops could be heard over the rabble as the tension between her vertebrae released. Rapunzel frowned at Eugene's back before she looked apologetically at her best friend. "I'll take care of that headache before class, Anna-boo."

* * *

"Alright, this time focus on the -"

"I always focus," Anna muttered in frustration, rubbing irritatedly on the space between her eyebrows.

Her uncle gave her a sympathetic look. They'd already been training for a couple of hours. Anna and Erik stood next to the small fire pit on one side of the backyard of Aren Manor while Elsa and Liv sat on a bench on the other side of the circle. Anna was still having trouble with her fire manipulation powers. It didn't make sense to her - she had mostly mastered her empathic abilities and with relative ease in her opinion (the only complications occurring when she was in close proximity to a large group of people). Anna didn't understand why the fire powers were giving her so much trouble.

"You're ruled by your emotions," Erik said gently, as if reading her thoughts. "Nature gifted you the abilities of an Empath for that very reason. Emotions are your strength - sensing them, understanding them, amplifying them. Your skill with navigating feelings is exemplary… but it's also your biggest hindrance with harnessing your fire ability."

"I don't get," Anna huffed, wiping a hand down her face.

"You jump from one emotion to the next at a blinding pace, sometimes feeling multiple at the same time. Even when you've successfully shut everyone else out," Erik explained. Anna considered that for a moment and knew there was merit to the assessment. "That affects your dominion over the fire. It makes it erratic and unstable."

"Fire is always erratic and unstable," Anna said with a roll of her eyes.

"Very astute, lille venn," Erik said, chuckling. He looked across the campfire circle to the two sisters. Liv looked bored and antsy, like she was ready to steal Anna from him for her turn with training. Elsa was practicing her magic - hands swirling as blue light and frost glowed around them. Erik watched as Elsa created a small ice sculpture of Marshmallow in the palm of her hand and admired it for a moment before closing her hands together to make it disappear and then started on another design. An idea struck Erik then. "Elsie, come on over here. I think you can help."

Elsa clapped her hands together once more, evaporating another perfect ice replica (this time of Olaf), and hopped to her feet. She smiled as she walked around the fire. "What can I do?"

"I think Anna would benefit from watching you work," he responded, gesturing for Elsa to stand next to her girlfriend. "Now, Anna, I want you to place a hand on Elsa's shoulder. Focus on only Elsa and her feelings."

Anna faced Elsa and placed her right hand on Elsa's left shoulder. Looking into Elsa's eyes, Anna concentrated only on Elsa's emotions, effectively closing off access to all other outside feelings. That was easy for her, tuning into Elsa came as second nature now. All that was left aside from her own frustration and nerves was a strong sense of affection that passed through to her from Elsa, and Anna smiled in response.

"Good. Elsa, please continue what you were doing just now with your powers," Erik continued. "Try to make widely different pieces each time. Can you do that?"

Elsa nodded in understanding. She rubbed her hands together slightly and looked back to Anna. "Are you ready?"

Anna steadied her breath and nodded. Elsa began to swirl her hands in front of her once more and Anna 'oo-ed' as she watched the snowflakes begin to dance around Elsa's hands, the blue glowing light reflecting on both of their faces. Anna nearly recoiled at the first emotion Elsa chose. Fear gripped at Anna's senses as Elsa created a chaotic sort of sculpture - crystal clear blades of ice twisted and turned into an embodiment of inner terror. As quickly as the fear came, it dissipated and love washed away its remnants as Elsa magicked away the distorted art, but a moment later, anger took its place. An anger so pure, Anna nearly saw red, and the fire beside them grew - burning hotter and brighter than a second before. Anna saw golden hued shards of cracked ice jut upward from Elsa's outstretched palm. They criss-crossed and overlapped in an obvious display of fury and aggression. But once again, love flooded through Anna's mind as Elsa dissipated the wild shaped ice.

Finally - an affection so endearing, so all encompassing passed into Anna's mind. It was a tenderness and warmth so complete it brought tears to Anna's eyes; those teal eyes that watched as Elsa sculpted a perfect replica of the two of them holding each other close, foreheads pressed together. It was a posture they found themselves in often, especially as of late since Anna frequently needed to lean on Elsa for support when the gates of her mind's castle faltered from fatigue. Elsa held the sculpture out to her and Anna pulled her hand from Elsa's shoulder to take it.

"What did you notice, Anna?" Erik asked her.

Anna considered carefully as she admired the detail of the little sculpture in her hands. Finally, she looked up at Erik and then focused on Elsa. "Your feelings are very strong and singular. Like you focus very hard on the one emotion you need to do what you want to do."

"I think of a memory, a strong one," Elsa said with a confirming nod. "Something that I clearly remember how I felt at the time. I push that feeling into my magic."

"You've certainly mastered your powers since I'd left, Elsa," Erik said as he came to stand next to the two teens and admired the perfectly rendered sculpture in Anna's hand. Sadness and regret hit Anna hard and she looked at her uncle who, in turn, was looking at Elsa. He gave her a quick, but endearing kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to see it happen."

Elsa shrugged lightly. "I understand why you had to leave."

"It doesn't make it okay," Erik said earnestly. He nodded his head across the fire to the older of the two sisters. "As Liv is constantly reminding me."

"Running away never solved anything," Liv said nonchalantly as she stood up and came around the fire. "Is it my turn with Anna yet?"

"She's not a toy, Olivia," Kaira called as she came through the backdoor from the kitchen. She walked with grace and held herself with poise, but Anna could feel the internal struggle that came along with her. Anna glanced at her uncle in response to the hope that hit her when he heard Kaira's voice finally made something click in her mind, but she kept the revelation to herself. She felt Kaira ready herself as she turned to Erik. "Another late training today, Westergaard?"

"It works with my schedule," Erik said with a shrug and a dashing smile. "But I can leave now if that will make you happy."

A fleeting passion followed quickly by irritation passed from Kaira, but Anna didn't have to be an Empath to see the slight blush under the mayor's light freckles. Exceeding amusement hit her next and Anna's eyes were drawn to Liv before she felt a cold hand take hold of one of her own. Elsa concentrated on calming thoughts - the lulling sound of waves on the shore, Anna's voice reaching her over the rest of the choir, the calmness of the first natural snow of the year. Elsa had noticed over the last few weeks how distressed and overwhelmed Anna became (though she did her best to hide it) whenever Kaira and Erik were together so she had started giving Anna something else to focus on during those times. Anna looked over at Elsa with a grateful smile, but their attention was brought back when Kaira said something they did not expect.

"That won't be necessary. I still have to finish up dinner. You can continue training until then," Kaira said as she began heading back inside. Erik and all the other girls stared after her in surprise; Kaira usually sent Erik away immediately upon arriving home. Kaira looked over her shoulder at Anna. "Your mother called me, little one. She'll be late from the Institute today so you'll be staying for dinner."

"Okay. Thanks, Kai," Anna said, barely finding her voice in the stunned silence around her. Once Kaira had shut the backdoor, the three remaining girls turned to Erik, who looked like he couldn't believe it himself. Anna sent him an encouraging smile and a thumbs up. "Baby steps?"

"Yeah," he said in a whisper. Her uncle blinked several times and then shook his head, looking back to Liv. "I think Anna's had enough practice with me today. You wanted to show her what's in store next?"

"Ah yeah! I think you're nearly ready to start the real training, Anna bear," Liv said, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She smiled mischievously at the young girl, causing Anna to gulp in nervous anticipation. "Learning how to fight."

The backdoor opened quickly and Kaira poked her head out. "Do not hurt her, Olivia."

"I would never!" Liv shouted across the yard. Kaira nodded and shut the door once more.

"The broken wrist I got when I was twelve would beg to differ," Elsa muttered sulkily.

"Oh that was an accident and Rapunzel healed it immediately," Liv said dismissively and turned to Anna once more. "Besides, today you'll just watch. It will take a lot of control utilizing your enhanced strength and speed in a fight. Erik and I will demonstrate."

"Oh I will, will I?"

"Scared, Westergaard?" Liv challenged teasingly.

"You wish," Erik said lightly and raised his brows at her before turning to Elsa. "Referee for us, Els?"

Elsa nodded and dashed several meters to the center of the yard. She crafted a perfect circle of thin ice around herself on the ground, about thirty feet in diameter, and beckoned everyone over. Anna stood on the edge of the ring closest to the house as Liv and Erik stepped into the middle with Elsa.

"First to three points or to successfully knock the opponent out of the circle is the winner," Elsa said, easily reminding the two contenders of the rules. This was clearly something that the three of them had done in the past. Elsa quickly appeared at Anna's side. "Begin!"

The fight began, and it was so graceful, Anna would almost consider it dancing. Punches, kicks, jabs, and dodges happened so quickly, Anna was aware that, without her newly enhanced vision, she would have missed it all. Liv was fierce and aggressive. She came out swinging quickly, hardly giving Erik any time to take a defensive position. She racked up two points fast, within the span of three minutes - first with a quick jab to Erik's weaker left side and then with a sweeping kick to his legs.

"It would seem you've grown out of shape over in Norway, Erik," Liv teased as he got up from the ground. "Didn't think you'd need to work out at all while you've been away?"

"I'll admit - you've gotten even faster and stronger since I've been gone," Erik said calmly, but with a serene smile on his face. "I'm just recalibrating. Don't worry about me."

"Ready?" Elsa called from the sideline with Anna. Liv and Erik took their individual stances and nodded to the referee. "Begin!"

Erik moved first this time, attacking Liv quickly and landing a light punch to her lower back within seconds. Liv looked around in shock; it had been years since she'd been bested in a round of a sparring match. Erik shrugged at her and Liv scowled, taking her offensive stance once more.

"Let's go, Elsa," Liv said muttered angrily. Erik laughed lightly and readied himself before he gave Elsa an affirmative nod.

"Begin!" Elsa called once more.

Liv was quick to go on the offensive first, but Erik was agile and swift, easily dodging kicks and parrying punches as Liv expended massive amounts of energy to move faster and harder with each attacking blow. Erik waited patiently and his moment eventually came when a particularly wild punch from Liv opened up her center, allowing him to get in a quick side kick across her stomach. Liv growled in frustration and Erik adopted the same patient expression he always gave Anna when she was frustrated with his lessons.

"You're telegraphing your movements," Erik said, walking around the edge of the circle to remain opposite from Liv as she paced around the ring. "Remember it takes more energy to miss than it does to land a hit. Be more discerning with your actions."

"Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?" Liv said testily, getting back into her fighting position once more. Erik smiled as he took his spot, making Liv even angrier.

"Two all. Next point wins," Elsa called. "Begin!"

The flurry of movement was so quick, Anna could hardly keep up. Liv went all out, but Erik deftly side stepped and blocked everything she threw at him, making Liv chase him all around the circle. Several minutes of furious activity passed and Anna nearly had to cover her eyes in fear that someone would get hurt. The movement quickly stopped and Anna looked up to see that Liv had Erik in a tight grip as she attempted to drag him toward the edge of the circle. She was only a couple steps away from tossing him over the boundary line when he suddenly slipped from her hold and dashed to the other side of the ice ring. She quickly chased him down and lunged, but he ducked at the last second, deftly sliding underneath her.

"Stop making me chase you, Wester-"

"Erik wins," Elsa called.

"What!?" Liv exclaimed. Elsa pointed to her sister's feet and Liv looked down. She was standing on the edge of the circle, the heel of her right foot breaking the circlet of ice marking the sparring arena. Liv huffed, clearly vexed by being bested. "Underhanded and unfair!"

"You forget that I helped teach you how to fight, Liv," Erik said. "It's been a long time since you've had an opponent that can match you in speed. You've grown complacent."

"Well, whose fault is that?" Liv said sullenly, toeing the line of ice at her feet absently. Anna almost found Liv's pouty attitude amusing until the genuine gloomy mood hit her. Erik approached the blonde and set a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere this time. I'll help you train," he said. Liv smiled at him and patted his hand with her own.

"Big mistake," Elsa whispered in Anna's ear. Liv's mood shifted so suddenly, Anna didn't even have a chance to warn her uncle. Liv grabbed onto Erik's wrist and turned, causing him to flip over and land on his back. Elsa winced slightly and looked at Anna. "Liv's a sore loser."

"I see that," Anna giggled.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," Liv offered Erik a hand and helped him off the ground and they walked over to the girls. "So, Anna bear, you think you're ready to learn to fight?"

"Definitely not," Anna said nervously.

"I agree. I think it's best if I get to assess your control first. Your clumsiness is much more dangerous now that your abilities are enhanced."

"Hey, I resent that. I'm not as clumsy now," Anna said indignantly. It was an accurate statement. Anna no longer tripped on seemingly nothing and her mother had commented just yesterday that she was much more graceful now that the binding on her powers was gone.

"That's mostly true, but you still overshoot the mark when using your speed and strength every now and then. I don't mean any offense, Anna bear," Liv responded. Anna opened her mouth to retort, but knew it was pointless because what Liv said was true. She just shrugged instead and Liv then looked at Erik. "Ready for a competition?"

"Was today's match not a competition?" Erik smirked at her and she rolled her eyes. He nodded his willingness to help. "What do you have in mind?"

"Capture the flag," Liv said. Erik raised his eyebrows at her and Elsa perked up, clearly excited about the prospect. "Westergaards versus Arens. Do you think Rorik can come with you tomorrow afternoon?"

"Likely, but I'm wary of playing anything against you any time soon," he responded, rubbing at his shoulder and testing its range of motion after Liv's last second attack.

"No, I won't be playing."

"What!?" Elsa and Erik shouted at the same time. Erik was surprised that Liv would choose to sit out of a competitive game; it was an unheard of situation. Elsa was disappointed because not having Liv on her team significantly lowered their chances of winning.

"To assess where Anna is in her training, I have to be able to observe. I can't do that if I'm trying to win. So it'll be Kai, Elsa, and Auntie Ari against you, Anna, and Rorik," Liv explained. She eyed Anna for a moment. "I'll make sure Raps is here for a quick heal… Again, no offense, Anna bear."

"No, I get it," Anna said breezily. Her newly enhanced strength and speed made her clumsy in a completely different, sometimes much more catastrophic way, as her trainings with Liv over the last few weeks have proven. Just then, the kitchen door slid back open.

"Dinner is ready," Kaira said, poking her head out into the yard.

"I'll speak to Rorik. Does two o'clock work?" Erik asked. Liv nodded and Erik grabbed his coat from the patio chair he'd rested it on. "See you ladies then."

"It's been a long training day, Erik, and Liv is no easy opponent to beat. You should have something to eat," Kaira said. Everyone froze as Kaira disappeared from the doorway, retreating back into the kitchen. They all looked at each other, surprise written all over their faces. The four of them stood outside for a long moment until Kaira popped her head back through the open doorway. She looked at all the stunned faces and rolled her eyes at them all. "No need to make a big deal about it," Kaira said as she held out a fork and a lidded glass container filled with pot roast and mashed potatoes to Erik. She pulled it back just as he was about to take it. "I want my container back tomorrow."

He nodded as he took the offered meal and she headed back inside the house, waving for the girls to follow her in for dinner. Anna paused and gave her uncle a kiss on the cheek. "Baby steps," she whispered to him before she followed Elsa through the door.

* * *

"You look worried, love," Elsa said as she came to stand next to Anna. She had been staring warily up at the bright red flag tied to a branch about thirty feet up a tree. They were in the clearing between the Corona and Aren manors; the same clearing where Eugene's Halloween party was held. That all seemed like a lifetime ago.

 _Actually, it kind of was a lifetime ago. A mortal lifetime ago,_ Anna thought to herself. She looked away from the flag and turned to Elsa. It never ceased to surprise Anna how much she _felt_ when she simply looked at or thought about her girlfriend. The idea would probably scare her more if she wasn't so sure, confirmed by her empathic abilities, that Elsa returned her feelings just as strongly. Nature had brought them together, given them this connection that was beyond comprehension; and Anna was learning not to question Her. Anna was beginning to believe that Elsa was just as much a gift to her from Nature as her powers were. As if reading Anna's internal thoughts, Elsa took her hand and stepped closer to her. She tucked a lock of Anna's hair that had escaped her ponytail behind Anna's ear and then gave her a kiss.

"It's only a game," Elsa said softly. "There's no need to fret."

"I'm not fretting… I'm just looking around at what's in store today; that's all," Anna said. Elsa raised her eyebrows at her skeptically. Anna sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'm a little nervous. I'm not exactly sure what to expect."

"You said you've played capture the flag at those summer camps you used to go to as a kid?" Elsa asked and Anna nodded in response. "It's the same, only it'll be much faster, and, as you've already noticed, the flags are a little more out of reach."

"Alright, everything is ready to go," Liv called from the other side of the clearing where she was marking the team base around the blue flag with some grass chalk. Anna looked across the area which now resembled an oversized soccer field, but instead of goals at either end of the field, there was only the single blue or red flag near the top of the trees. Liv ran wickedly fast to the center of the field and waved everyone over.

"Is the outfit really necessary, Liv?" Erik asked with a laugh. Liv had gone all out with a black and white, vertically striped referee's shirt and her ponytail pulled through the back of her usual Arendelle High baseball cap. She pulled a whistle that was hanging around her neck from within her shirt and blew into it, causing everyone near her to clap their hands over their ears and wince from the sudden noise.

"Snide remarks will not be tolerated, Erik," Liv said, a wily smile on her face. She looked around at everyone else. "Now for some other ground rules. No powers, no fighting, and - per Auntie Ari's request - no foul language. All play must occur within the boundary lines. If someone successfully pulls off your flag belt, you have to sit out for two minutes. Stepping or getting pushed out of bounds results in the same two-minute penalty. Uncle Fred and Rapunzel will be my sideline judges. Any questions?"

"What's the prize?" Arianna asked as everyone clicked the flag football belts Liv was handing out around their waists. Frederic let out an amused chuckle and his wife grinned at him.

"Aside from bragging rights? Losing team cleans up after dinner tonight," Liv said.

"That doesn't sound too terrible," Anna said with relief.

"I'm cooking." Liv smiled at her with mischief in her eyes. The looks on all the faces around her made Anna wary about this new fact. "If there aren't any other questions, let's get started. The first team to retrieve the opposing team's flag and return it to their base wins. I'll give you some time to strategize. Game starts on my whistle."

Rapunzel and her dad each took to a sideline while the two teams set off to their far ends of the playing field, speaking in hushed voices to avoid being overheard by the other team.

"Okay, I'll stick to defense. Most likely, Ari will be taking the defensive position on their side as well, leaving the two sisters to go after the flag. Elsa is basically a mini-version of Kaira. They work well together and they'll play to that strength. You two are better suited to taking them on as you each know one of them very well," Rorik said very quickly, barely above a whisper. Anna and Erik shared a look and nodded at each other. The eldest present Westergaard glanced worriedly over at the other end of the field before speaking again. "Ari is extremely competitive. We'll have our work cut out for us."

"We got this, brother," Erik said lightly before turning to Anna. "You take Kai first and I'll take Elsa. They won't be expecting it."

"Wait… are you -"

Anna didn't get to finish her question. A loud, ringing whistle sounded through the clearing and there was a sudden flurry of activity. Rorik had been right in assuming that the two Aren sisters would be the ones tasked with retrieving the Westergaard's red flag. Kaira and Elsa went on the offensive quickly, dashing their way across the field at a blinding pace. Anna saw Erik trail after Elsa immediately before he called after her.

"On your right, Anna!"

Her stupor was instantly broken when she turned in that direction and caught a glimpse of Kaira's smirking face as the mayor attempted to run a wide berth around Anna. On instinct, Anna ran after her as quickly as she could. Which turned out to be rather fast; the young girl caught up to Kaira and grabbed at one of the blue flags hanging from the opponent's belt. Kaira stopped and turned to Anna with a surprised look.

"You are very quick, Anna," Kaira said with a smile. "Most impressive."

"Thanks," Anna said with a blush as she handed Kaira back her flag.

"Two minutes in the penalty box, Kai!" Liv called from center field.

Kaira ran off to stand in the designated square near Rapunzel and Anna quickly ran off toward the tree where she could see a blue flag flapping high above Arianna's head. She had just passed the half field line when she was suddenly cut off by Elsa. Anna attempted to stop and turn when she felt a small tug around her waist. She looked down to see her flags were gone and turned her head to find Elsa holding the red flag belt in her hand.

"Sorry, love," Elsa said as she handed Anna back the belt. She gave Anna a quick kiss. "I like to win."

"I'll get you back, babe. Don't worry about it," Anna said with a wicked smile as she ran off to join Kaira in the penalty box.

"You're in for a treat, little one," Kaira said, pointing to the field. "Erik may be faster, but Elsa is the most graceful of all of us."

And Kaira was right. Erik dashed and darted after Elsa all over the field, but every time he appeared to get close, Elsa would spin or slide elegantly out of reach from his hands. Each time she dodged his swipes for her flags, Erik's momentum would carry him too far and he'd have to quickly chase her down as she tried to take advantage of his slip up. They were evenly matched, Elsa's agility versus Erik's speed. Soon enough, Liv blew two quick whistles indicating the end of Kaira's penalty time and she quickly ran off to help Elsa, causing Rorik to leave the box marking off their base and leaving their flag wide open. Anna's heart sped up when she noticed Arianna leave the other base, taking advantage of the now unprotected red flag.

Anna checked her watch and grinned. Her two minutes were almost done, and she was confident she could catch Auntie Ari. Only a few seconds later, two quick whistle blows from Liv released Anna to run faster than ever after Arianna who had just reached the Westergaard scoring box. Anna lunged when Arianna was only a few steps from the tree and successfully managed to grab her flag belt before tumbling to a stop. She got up quickly and brushed herself off when a long whistle rang around the clearing.

"Injury timeout!" Liv called.

Anna quickly looked in the direction of Elsa, worried that she'd gotten hurt while she herself had chased down Auntie Ari. Elsa was standing with Kaira and Erik and she looked fine, but when Elsa met her gaze, the blonde's eyes were immediately concerned. She ran over to Anna just as Rapunzel got to her side too.

"Let me see that, Anna boo," Raps said calmly, taking Anna's left arm.

"Huh?" Anna looked down to see she had a large scrape around her elbow from the tumble she'd taken. She shut her eyes tightly. "Oh, I didn't even realize… yuck… that's a lot of blood."

"Nice save, Anna. I thought Auntie Ari was going to end the game for sure," Liv's voice came from somewhere to her right as a warming sensation encased her left elbow. "You definitely seem to have your speed down. Stopping on the other hand… well, we'll work on that more."

"All done," Rapunzel said, and Anna opened her eyes to see no trace of blood or injury.

"Thanks, Raps," Anna said and her best friend nodded in response.

"Alright, we can resume play. Auntie Ari, your two-minute penalty starts now," Liv called and blew her whistle once more.

Kaira immediately went on the defensive, running all the way back to protect their flag with Erik chasing her down. Rorik lingered near their own base, taking quick backward steps into a defensive position as well so Anna quickly dashed after Elsa. She caught up to Elsa easily and snatched the flags from around her slender waist. Elsa gaped at her, and Anna smiled.

"Said I'd get you back," Anna teased playfully. She gave Elsa a peck on the cheek and then quickly ran off after Erik and Kaira. "Go after the flag, Uncle Erik. I'll take Kai."

Erik veered off slightly as they switched targets. Anna engaged Kaira, attempting to take her flags and causing the woman to resort to evasive maneuvers while trying to head Erik off from their flag. Anna took advantage of Kaira's split attention and went to grab at her blue flag belt once more but was suddenly pushed back a few steps by an invisible force. Anna looked up at Kaira's sheepish grin and was just about to call her out for using her telepathic powers when she saw Erik get knocked down by an unseen wall. It shimmered with blue, crackling energy as he ran into it and then it disappeared once more. He sat up and shook his head, turning to look toward the sidelines where Arianna and Elsa were sniggering in the penalty box.

"Hey! No force fields!" Erik called. He stood up and turned to Liv. "Ref! A ruling please?"

"Hm…" Liv mused and then shrugged. "I'll allow it."

Erik stared at her, his mouth hanging open and turned to Anna. "I think they've bought off the refs, lille venn. We don't stand a chance."

The feeling of mischief and satisfaction washed through her and Anna looked at each Aren woman in quick succession. Their smug looks all but confirmed Erik's suspicions and she shook her head in disbelief before a plan started forming in her head.

"Don't count us out yet, Uncle Erik."

"Well, it seems that a fresh start is in order," Liv said eagerly. "Everyone back to starting positions. This time, powers are fair game. Ready, set…"

When Liv's whistle blew this time, it was instant chaos. Snow suddenly manifested throughout the entire play field, hindering Anna and Rorik's movement, though they each continued to make their way through the flurries. Erik, on the other hand, utilized his thermal manipulation to quickly melt the ice around him as he made a mad dash for the other side of the field, but was stopped when Arianna encased him within a dome of energy. Kaira wore a triumphant smile as she stood within the Aren home base box and extended her hand toward the red flag waving above Rorik's head, but frowned when it didn't budge.

"You tied it to the tree?" Kaira exclaimed, turning in Liv's direction. The middle sister only shrugged.

"It'd be much too simple if I hadn't, dear sister," Liv said. Kaira gave her an exasperated look before her head tilted slightly; a quirk Anna had learned meant that someone had called out to her in their mind. Kaira's head snapped over to Elsa for a moment before she charged forward to cut off Erik who had started running toward the Aren home base once more. Just as they were about to meet at center field, a fog rolled in over the area, hiding them from view.

Anna turned her attention to Elsa and her heart sank when she spotted her. Elsa had used her powers to encase Rorik's legs in ice, rendering him immobilized against her as she ran atop the snow drifts she'd covered the clearing with. The game would be over very quickly if Anna didn't act now. She closed her eyes and concentrated on one singular emotion, pulling up a memory so strong it nearly made her lose her own composure. Anna took a deep breath and concentrated on pushing the feeling out and around the clearing. She imagined it like a cloud, settling around all the other people around her.

And then she heard it… laughter. It started off softly, but quickly rose in volume. She opened her eyes to see that everyone - opposition, teammates, and referees alike - all doubled over in mirth and amusement. Their laughter was so intense, they grabbed at their sides and gasped for breath. Anna smiled to herself and calmly walked over to the tree that Arianna was sitting against. Rapunzel's mother looked after her with tears of unbridled laughter in her eyes as Anna climbed up the tree and untied the flag. Once she was safely within the boundary line of her team's home base, she released everyone from under her influence.

The laughter died down and Elsa cleared the snow away. Walking over to Anna, she gave her a congratulatory kiss.

"You're not upset that I won?" Anna asked her.

"Not at all. If I'm going to lose, I'm glad it's to you and not Erik. Liv's a sore loser, but Erik's a sore winner," Elsa said with a smile, but it turned to a frown as she looked around. "Where _is_ Erik?"

Anna turned toward the middle of the clearing where she'd seen Erik and Kaira last. The fog that had come through began to dissipate. Elsa let go of Anna's hand as she turned to look where Anna's attention was, and a new feeling hit the Empath hard. It was a feeling Anna understood and had felt before, but usually only when she was alone with Elsa.

"Oh no," Anna winced and quickly grabbed Elsa's hand, letting Elsa's happy excitement wash away the sudden unwanted feelings. Elsa looked at her questioningly, but when the fog fully cleared, it revealed Kaira and Erik slightly entangled together, having run into each other after the sudden loss of visibility created by the fog. Kaira was holding herself very still just above Erik's prone form, their eyes locked with intensity, and understanding dawned on the youngest sister.

"Oh…" Elsa said, and looked at her girlfriend sympathetically.

"Ahem." Liv cleared her throat and stood over them. She had a supremely victorious looking smile on her face, and Anna now understood the reason for the fog. "Should we give you two some space?"

"That would be exceedingly unnecessary," Kaira said, ears and cheeks burning bright red as she quickly stood up and brushed herself off. She gave her sister a long, hard look at which the middle sister only smiled wider. After another moment, Kaira turned to Anna. "Very good, little one. You're showing great control over your empathic abilities. I'm very pleased."

"I'd imagine you are," Liv quipped, smirking roguishly at her older sister and nudging Erik suggestively with her shoulder. Erik was staring at the ground, obviously just as embarrassed by the situation as Kaira.

"Do not be crass, Olivia," Kaira said sternly, but her blush deepened significantly. She turned back to Liv. "Didn't you promise us dinner?"

"Oh yeah!" Liv exclaimed and started leading the way toward the Aren Manor. "I'm making lasagna."

Elsa stopped suddenly. "Ugh… there's going to be so many dishes…"

"It can't possibly be that bad," Anna said, turning back to look at her.

"Oh you'll see," Elsa said sullenly. Anna chuckled and linked her left arm with Elsa's right at the elbow, pulling her along down the path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lille venn = little friend (and after a deep dive in the googles, I learned that this is a common term of endearment in Norway).
> 
> So I've mapped out the rest of the story, and I estimate that we'll be around 35 chapters by the end. I can't believe I've written so many words in such a short amount of time. Anyway - as always, thank you for reading, and thanks to my BETA (a most exemplary sister)! Until next week, my friends! Stay safe out there!


	25. The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

" _Anna," Rorik called from behind her. She and Elsa turned to look at the two brothers as everyone else continued down the path toward the sisters' home for Liv's lasagna dinner. "Might we speak to you for a moment?"_

" _Sure," she responded and let go of Elsa. A wave of worry and tension hit her the moment their contact broke, and she frowned in their direction a little. She took Elsa's hand in response. Elsa looked at her questioningly for a moment, but kept her silence. Rorik's eyes flickered to their joined hands and he nodded._

" _Elsa can stay. I would expect you'd share anything we said with her anyway," he said. Anna nodded in agreement and he continued. "What you did back there to win the game just now, pushing your emotions to the rest of us… was it easy for you?"_

_Anna thought it over for a moment before she answered. "It wasn't without difficulty, no, but I'm sure it would get easier with practice."_

_The two brother's shared a look that made both girls wary. Erik looked to them once more after the men seemed to come to some silent agreement._

" _Anna, should any of our brothers discover who you are, it is imperative that you not reveal your empathic powers to them," he said calmly but definitively. "It is especially important that they not know that you're capable of doing what you had at the end of the game."_

" _I don't understand," Elsa said, voicing aloud what Anna was also thinking. "What does this change?"_

" _You might not see it because you're both kind, caring young ladies, but our brothers - Lars especially - will have no trouble seeing the possibilities. It's the very reason Anders tried to hide you in the first place," Rorik explained as he started down the path once more, everyone falling in step around him. "The ability to command the emotions of an entire crowd has one very clear implication. Can you guess what it is?"_

_Anna and Elsa glanced at each other. Anna could see the knowing look in Elsa's eyes, but she herself couldn't grasp what her uncle was trying to say._

" _Control," Elsa said with confidence. Both brothers nodded, but Anna was still lost, her eyebrows furrowing with concentration as she tried to grasp the concept. Elsa smiled at her and tucked an errant lock of hair behind Anna's ear. "Of course, you wouldn't see it; you'd never dream of using your power that way. You're far too golden hearted."_

" _Try to imagine, Anna, if you'd chosen a darker emotion back there. What might have happened if you'd picked, say, rage just as strong as the merriment you'd chosen?" Rorik posed. Anna's eyes went wide as the understanding came. "Now imagine what would come if you united a whole group of people in that rage? What would happen if you could focus that group's fury on one common goal?"_

" _I would never do that," Anna said definitively._

" _We know you wouldn't," Erik said, but he gave her a serious look. "Not willingly, at least. Lars, and perhaps a handful of our other brothers, are masters at manipulation, however. They'd find your weakness and use it against you; make you abuse your gift as they see fit."_

" _We're not trying to scare you," Rorik said gently. Elsa and Anna had stepped closer to each other, anxiety clear in both of their expressions. "We only urge you to use discretion, and to be on your guard should you encounter any of our brothers. Without Anders' binding, it wouldn't take long for one of them to figure out that you have Westergaard magic in you."_

" _I don't understand," Anna said with a confused frown. "How would they figure that out?"_

" _It's like another sense," Elsa explained to her. "I don't usually pay much attention to it because I'm always around my family, but if I focus, I can feel our kindred magic flowing within them."_

_Erik nodded and held his hand out to Anna. "Here, you try," he said. She took his hand and… felt nothing. Anna looked at her uncle and shrugged. He chuckled lightly. "Close your eyes and breathe," he told her and she did as he said. "Now, focus on the energy that flows around us. Picture the source of your power and imagine that same source in me."_

_Anna's eyebrows scrunched as she tried to focus. She pictured a small flame in her heart, as she often imagined that was how her powers manifested within her. She studied it for a moment, trying to understand its signature, feel its connection to Nature. When Anna felt she had a grasp on it, she focused on Erik's presence and the understanding caught her off guard. It was like an inherent awareness of what made her uncle gifted, a feeling that felt akin to the little flame in her own chest. Her eyes fluttered open and she met his gaze._

" _Our brothers have more practice than you; they can feel that familiarity without even trying," Erik said and he shared one more look with Rorik. They seemed satisfied that Anna appeared to now understand, and Erik nodded to her once more. "We implore you to be careful when you encounter any of them again, lille venn."_

* * *

**03 April 2020**

"Are you sure you want to go tonight?" Elsa asked as they sat at Oaken's writing up Thursday's Chemistry homework together. They were making up their usual standing cocoa date they'd missed yesterday because Anna had training with Liv right after school the day before. "I'm sure Eugene will understand if we don't show."

"No, I'm sure," Anna said, though the pitch of her voice made her sound less convinced than her words implied. "I want to do normal teenager things and normal teens go to high school games when it's against a rival. Plus, my friendship with Eugene is still rocky at best. I don't want to give him any reason to slide back into his pouty mood."

Anna had gone to school on Monday with a singular goal - make Eugene get over his whole 'Anna has betrayed me' nonsense. Two weeks was long enough and Anna would stand for it no longer. She had told Rapunzel her plan as they walked from their fifth period homeroom to choir and got her on board. Elsa had known about it already, and, while she wasn't sure it was the way to go, Elsa knew there was no changing Anna's mind. So, once the end of day bell rang, the three walked out to the parking lot together, but as Rapunzel opened the door to Eugene's truck, Anna was the one to slip into the passenger seat instead. Eugene had definitely been shocked and had glared at his girlfriend, but Rapunzel gave him a hard look back before she skipped over to Elsa's car.

" _You are going to talk to me, Eugene," Anna said, doing her best to keep her voice level. "I understand that it seems unfair and that you feel betrayed because I'm not a mortal like we all thought, and I tried to give you some space to come to terms with everything, but enough is enough! I get it okay? I was the one mortal that could relate to your experience, and now I'm just yet another River Born girl, but it's not my fault! I can't help who my family is and -"_

" _I know," Eugene said._

" _\- it's not fair that you are holding it against me, and -"_

" _I know," he said again._

" _I just… hold on, what?"_

_Eugene took a deep breath and finally looked at her for the first time in weeks. Anna felt several emotions rolling off of him - a little sadness, a little anxiety, a little protectiveness - but she couldn't really make sense of it all or see the reason behind it._

" _I will admit that you're a kind of right. I did feel betrayed at first, and yes, I know it doesn't make sense. You didn't actually_ do _anything. Rapunzel explained that this is always who you were, but it was kept secret even from you," he said._

" _Then why have you been such a royal jerk lately?" She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. He laughed a little at her ire._

" _I'm only human. The feelings of betrayal and jealousy I felt at first, however unwarranted, were uncontrollable. After a couple days though, I knew I was being unreasonable. You didn't ask for this, and you didn't mean for it to happen," Eugene admitted._

" _A couple days? Eugene, it's been two weeks!"_

" _My feelings adapted. What started out as a knee-jerk response to once again being the only mortal amongst all these 'supers' became something else," he said with a shrug and eyed her with discernment. "I actually thought that you, of all of them, would understand why I feel so… I don't even know how to put it into words."_

" _I know what you're feeling," she said quietly. He looked her in the eyes again and she clarified. "You don't have to put it into words. I can feel what you feel. I just don't know_ why _you feel the way that you do."_

" _Right, of course." He gave her a small, but genuine smile. Eugene took a steadying breath as he tried to find the words to explain his behavior. "Do you remember the conversation we had at the start of Spring Break? When we went to Oaken's?"_

" _Of course, I do. It's one of my treasured memories," she said honestly._

" _Mine too," he said, his smile a little bigger than before. "Remember how I told you that sometimes I feel inadequate; not because I need to be the protector, but because -"_

" _You wish to be her equal," she finished. "Yeah, I remember feeling the same."_

" _And that's just it though," he said earnestly, turning slightly in his driver's seat to face her more directly. "Rapunzel doesn't say it out right, but I know she worries about your safety because of who your family is, and you're not just my girlfriend's best friend, Anna. You're my friend too. I care about you, and now…"_

_He looked away from her, off into the distance through the windshield. The same feelings came over her again - the anxious sadness, the desperate protectiveness - and Anna finally understood. "Now I'm just one more person you feel too mortal to be able to protect."_

_Eugene looked back at her, eyes shiny and an unapologetically vulnerable expression on his face. He slowly raised a hand and tapped a finger on his nose in confirmation before he smiled at her sadly. "I just want the women I care about to be safe, but you all make it impossible."_

" _To be fair, my life was always in danger_ before _my powers were unbound," she said with a cheeky smile. He laughed heartily at that undeniable assessment. She sighed and looked at him hopefully. "So we're good, Eugene?"_

" _We were never not good, Gingersnap," he replied with honesty._

"Yeah, I get it," Elsa said, relenting to Anna's decision and bringing the ginger back into the conversation. The anxiety was clear on Elsa's face and it was emanating toward Anna. "But please, promise that we'll both stick next to Kai and avoid Hans and any other Westergaards if possible?"

"Of course. That should be simple to… wait… Kai is chaperoning today?"

"Yes, after the last time, she wanted to be around just in case," Elsa said as she looked down at her paper to double checked her calculations.

"Uncle Erik volunteered to come chaperone all the Westergaard boys today," Anna said with a smirk. Elsa's head snapped up to meet her gaze. When she determined that Anna was sincere, she closed her eyes in a grimace and shook her head slowly from side to side.

"So much for hoping today would be uneventful," she lamented.

* * *

Anna couldn't help but think that lacrosse was basically hockey with one exception - players ran around on a grassy field instead of skating on ice. It was no wonder most of the lacrosse team was composed of boys from the hockey team. She was sure she was oversimplifying the comparison, but it seemed accurate - two netted goals, boys with pads and helmets hitting each other while chasing around a small rubber object with sticks, inordinate amounts of testosterone and aggression. _Yeah, lacrosse is just outdoor grassy hockey,_ she decided.

"Yeah, Flynn! Woo, woo! That's my captain!" Anna shouted when Eugene successfully scored against Southern Isles High just as the whistle blew, increasing their lead 3-1 with only one final quarter to play. Anna sat back down as the teams headed to the sidelines for a water break. She looked to her left at the sisters that were quietly observing the game, eyes scanning the crowd frequently. "You know, this is much more fun with Liv."

"I wouldn't doubt that, little one," Kaira said absently. A sudden longing jealousy hit Anna and she followed Kaira's gaze across the field and spotted Erik talking to a woman.

"Who's the lady?" Anna asked.

Kaira's eyes flickered to her for a moment and Elsa sighed audibly next to her. Kaira went back to scanning the crowds before answering. "Gerda Weselton."

"Oh, another chaperone," Anna said definitively.

"It would appear so," Kaira said. Outwardly, Kaira seemed indifferent to the situation, but Anna knew better.

The wealth of emotions coming from the Mayor was bountiful. She opened her mouth to say something when she felt Elsa take her hand. Anna looked to her girlfriend and Elsa gave her an almost imperceptible shake of her head to discourage her, and Anna let it go. She turned her attention back to the game just as the boys all started jogging back onto the field. Hans was about to put his helmet back on when he spotted her. He smiled widely and waved in Anna's direction. Irritation flowed from Elsa to Anna through their joined hands and Anna shook her head in Hans' direction. He frowned a little and put his helmet back on, focusing on the rest of the game.

"It would seem your last interaction with Hans was much more amiable than you originally let on, love," Elsa said lightly, but Anna could hear the tension within it. Sighing, she turned to Elsa who was yet again scanning the crowd.

"I told you everything. I took him on a tour of the rehabilitation center and we talked. I was being nice on behalf of the Institute," Anna explained, tugging lightly on her girlfriend's hand to get her to turn to her. "It's not my fault he misconstrued my good hostess skills as a sign of friendship."

"And you're sure that's all?" Elsa asked once more, raising an eyebrow.

Anna opened her mouth to answer, but then she remembered something. That thing was currently burning a whole in her coat pocket, and had been for the last two months. She was never really good at lying, but the little slip of paper with Hans' phone number seemed too trivial to bother Elsa with so she decided on a half truth.

"Okay - so I might have told him that he might not be my enemy, which at the time felt like the right thing to say, but I also said that he definitely was not my friend," Anna said confidently. "I was very clear about that."

Elsa studied her for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, good. That is sufficient."

Anna rolled her eyes and turned back to the game. Sometimes Elsa could be so controlling. "I'm glad I can appease you," Anna said, voice laced with sullen sarcasm. Elsa caught the tone though. She gently turned Anna's chin toward her with one finger.

"I'm sorry. I know I can get a little crazy about the Westergaards," Elsa said sincerely. "I just don't trust that they don't have ulterior motives."

Anna sighed. She understood that Elsa's opinions were founded. "I get it, but you know I'm technically -"

"And they have really good hearing," Elsa interrupted her with a hurried whisper. They both glanced across the field to Erik who was looking in their direction with raised eyebrows. Anna was wondering how long they could keep her identity a secret when Elsa spoke again. "I'm just trying to keep you safe, love. You know that, right?"

Anna shifted her gaze back to her. Elsa's bright ocean eyes were earnest and calm, and Anna felt her girlfriend's affection hit her like it so often did. It was always like an avalanche - powerful, all consuming, and unrelenting, She smiled at Elsa and nodded. "Of course, I know that," Anna said, giving Elsa a light kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," Elsa said as the whistle blew marking the end of the game. Anna's eyes darted to the scoreboard. It remained unchanged and the Arendelle sidelines exploded in celebration.

"Okay, girls. We should quickly retrieve Rapunzel and Eugene and head out before anything untoward should occur," Kaira said seriously, standing up and slinging her purse onto her shoulder. Elsa and Anna knew not to argue with Kai when she used that tone, and followed the Mayor through the stands toward the sidelines where they could see Rapunzel already leading Eugene from the throng of celebrating teens, her long yellow-blonde braid swinging erratically with the effort. When Eugene saw them approaching, he stopped resisting and made his way to the sidelines where his bag was, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

"Don't be sad! Party in the clearing tonight!" Eugene shouted and the Arendelle High student body cheered. When he turned back around, he met Kaira's disapproving gaze. He held up his hands in front of him like he was under arrest. "All good, clean fun, Kai. Scouts honor," he said, holding up two fingers.

Kaira rolled her eyes. She knew very well that Eugene was never a Wilderness Explorer. The Mayor led the small group of teens to the parking lot and considered the situation. When they reached Eugene's Range Rover, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is not my place to stop you, but know that I have certain expectations for you, Eugene. I should hope you live up to them," she said reproachfully. He visibly gulped under the scrutiny of her gaze. Satisfied, she then turned her eyes to the girls. "You three on the other hand, I -"

"Will be watching closely," the three girls said in unison before she could finish her sentence. Kaira raised an eyebrow and smirked at the three of them. She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by someone approaching.

"Oh, let them be kids, Kai," Erik said. He sent her a playful half-smile when she turned her head toward him, and he leaned against one of the buses that were meant to shuttle the opposing team and their supporters to and from the docks. "I seem to remember a time when you weren't a stranger to a little mischief."

"I haven't a clue what you are referring to, Westergaard," Kai responded, straightening her spine slightly.

"Well, I do," another voice said. The woman that was sitting next to Erik during the game came around the nose of the bus and smiled at Kaira, a sickly sweet sort of grin. Anna had to admit that the woman was beautiful - dark chestnut hair, brilliant grey eyes, and delicate features. She moved gracefully, like a classically trained ballerina, almost floating with each step. "Hey, Kai. It's been a long time."

Irritation. Frustration. Anger. Jealousy… Kaira's slurry of emotions smacked into Anna like a freight train, creating an involuntary internal fire to flare up. She desperately grasped Elsa's hand in order to keep her composure. Her girlfriend understood her needs inherently, and Anna felt calming emotions cascade through her as Elsa concentrated on soothing memories for her, blocking out Kaira's temper.

"Hello, Gerda," Kaira said, her voice controlled and even despite the bubbling ire that Anna was aware was simmering underneath. "I trust you have been well."

"Oh, very well. Thank you," Gerda replied as she stopped to stand suspiciously close to Erik. The Weselton woman placed a hand on Erik's shoulder who quickly pushed himself from his position against the bus and took a step away, effectively causing Gerda's hand to slip off of him. She frowned slightly, the smile on her pixie-like face faltering minutely, before she quickly schooled her features once more. "It's been very nice having Erik home... finally."

Anna met Elsa's eyes, curiosity clear in the ginger's gaze, but Elsa just shook her head and mouthed 'later' to her. Anna nodded and Elsa turned to her older sister. "Want me to text Liv and let her know we're on our way?"

"I think that would be best. That way she will have dinner ready upon our arrival," Kaira said. Anna's mother had told her that morning that she had made plans with Kai for Anna to stay close to the sisters while the visitors from the neighboring islands were in Arendelle. Remaining close to Elsa and her sisters was a stipulation Iduna had if Anna wanted to go to the game today. The Arendelle residents present all turned to leave when they were stopped by someone shouting in their direction.

"Anna! Wait up!"

Anna turned and her stomach dropped when she saw to whom the voice belonged. Hans came jogging over from the field, smiling widely and his equipment bag swinging upon his shoulder. She felt Elsa pull on the hand she was still holding, angling Anna to be slightly behind her with Rapunzel stepping forward to put herself between them as well. The scene felt very similar to how she'd first met Hans - Elsa and Raps forming a wall between her and the Westergaard. This time, though, he held up his hands in surrender as opposed to the heavy antagonistic stance he'd originally displayed.

"I don't mean any harm," Hans said quickly, smiling diplomatically despite the glares trained on him by all the blonde women present. He directed his seemingly friendly gaze to Anna. "I was just hoping to chat with you. You never called so I thought I'd catch you after the game."

"Called?" Elsa said, turning to Anna, her eyes hard and questioning.

_Busted_ , Anna thought and let out a sigh. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the small slip of paper. "Hans gave me his number after his tour of the Institute. It's never left my pocket because I didn't plan on using it. I'd completely forgotten I had it. I didn't want to trouble you about it," she said, her smile conveying her slight contrition.

Elsa closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she took a few deep breaths. When she finally composed herself a little, she looked back at her girlfriend. Elsa really just wanted to get Anna out of this situation as quickly as possible. "We can talk about this later. Liv is waiting for us."

"It seems I might have gotten you in trouble," Hans said, looking at Anna guiltily.

"Hans, I think it's best if you just get on the bus," Erik said, placing a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder. He glanced at all the women in the group and addressed Hans once more. "We shouldn't impose much longer on the hospitality of Arendelle, and it's very clear that their patience is running a little low."

"Oh, don't be a hypocrite, Erik," Hans said indignantly, nodding toward Kaira. "We all know why you volunteered to chaperone today. You want to stay just as much as I do.'

"Father was very clear about what behavior he expected from all of us. I suggest you get on the bus before you do something to disappoint him... again," Erik said with an authority Anna had yet to witness from her uncle.

_Oh, ew. Hans is also my uncle,_ Anna thought, the revelation hitting her unexpectedly. She knew that Hans was the youngest of the Westergaard brothers, but it didn't click until now that Hans was just as much her Uncle as Erik or Rorik were. For some reason, she found this fact extremely unnerving.

"Look, I just wanted to ask Anna something," Hans responded sulkily. Erik looked at Anna first with questioning eyes. She considered for a moment before coming to a decision, and took a step forward. Anna felt Elsa try to hold her back, making Anna turn back to her with an encouraging smile.

"I'll be fine, love," Anna said to her. Elsa searched her for a moment, but relented, letting go of Anna's hand after nodding at her once. Anna crossed the divide between the two groups of people, stopping at the midway point only a few feet from the brothers. She could feel the wariness rolling off of Erik, but she tried to ignore him. She needed to set boundaries now that she had been told the full story, and this was the perfect opportunity. It was much too public a place for anyone to risk acting rashly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she spoke to Hans directly. "What is it, Westergaard?"

He looked slightly taken aback by Anna's apparent hostility, but he kept his diplomatic smile. "I was hoping that you'd finish that tour for me. I'm trying to consider what major I want to choose next year when I start college. Marine Biology is still on the table and I'm interested in seeing the rest of what the facility offers."

"You should really call the Institute and set up something," Anna said.

"I'd much prefer to get a grand tour of the Institute from a friend instead of some stranger," Hans said hopefully. "And I thought that maybe we could finish our conversation?"

"I believe I was very clear that we aren't friends," Anna said, irritation rising. She wasn't exactly sure if it was coming from Elsa through their bond or if it was entirely her own, but she was positive he was making the conversation Elsa would certainly want to have later more difficult for her. _Stubbornness obviously runs in the family. It's just so much more annoying when it's coming_ at _me instead of from me, though._ "And I learned everything I need to know from Elsa."

"You mean you learned one side of the story," Hans responded, his genial demeanor slipping ever so slightly. Anna glanced back briefly at Elsa who was obviously extremely tense, balancing on the balls of her feet as if she was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. When Anna turned to him once more, his smile was back in place.

"Her side is the only one I need to know," Anna said and held out the piece of paper she had, until today, forgotten had been in her possession. "You should give your number to someone at the Institute instead if you want your tour."

He eyed it and Anna could feel his disappointment radiate off of him, a disappointment tinged slightly with anger and frustration. He sighed in defeat and took the last few steps between them and reached out to retrieve it. Anna knew her mistake the moment their hands grazed. Giving the slip of paper back only served as theatrics at best, and she was now regretting it. She felt his dissatisfaction quickly switch to curiosity and confusion, and she pulled her hand away instantly, turning to walk back to Elsa. However, even before she turned halfway around, Anna felt a hand take her wrist, bringing her attention back. Erik was at their side in an instant, one hand on Hans' shoulder and the other on the hand that was holding onto Anna.

"Do not do anything stupid, Hans," Erik said, attempting to pull Hans' hand away from Anna. The teenaged brother ignored him though, and continued to look Anna in the eye, trying to understand her. "Let the girl go before Kai decides to unleash Elsa on you."

Anna turned at that to see that Kaira had Elsa wrapped up, the younger of the two sisters had her arms pinned to her side and was struggling to break out of the hold. "Don't do anything rash, snowbug," Anna heard Kaira whisper. "Let Erik handle it." Elsa met Anna's gaze and Anna gave her a shake of the head. She felt relieved when Elsa nodded and appeared to stop struggling within Kaira's grasp.

"There's something different about you," Hans said, finally loosening his grip on her arm.

"Nope, I'm exactly who I've always been," Anna said as lightly as possible. She was a terrible liar; half truths were her best bet. She took several steps back to get out of his immediate reach, but he kept his eyes trained on her. Anna felt Elsa come up beside her, Kaira having let Elsa go after feeling confident that her younger sister would control her actions. Elsa took Anna's hand and Anna felt relief, both hers and Elsa's, replace her apprehension.

"Get on the bus, Hans," Erik said sternly. He looked around a little as the sound of a crowd approached. "Now, little brother. Before anything regretful occurs."

The rest of the Southern Isles contingent had started making their way toward the parking lot, some of them eyeing the situation carefully. Anna noted that the ones that seemed more interested shared a lot of similar features to the Westergaard brothers and Gerda. The Weselton woman began ushering who Anna assumed to be the young family members she was in charge of onto the busses. All Erik needed to do was give his nephews a pointed look and they all scurried quickly after the Weselton kids.

"You know, I think you're being honest," Hans said, a wicked smirk on his face that made Anna's skin crawl with worry. "You are exactly who you've always been… but just exactly who that is is the true conundrum."

"I said get on the bus, Hans," Erik said through gritted teeth, grabbing a hold of the teen's jersey and roughly shoving him up the stairs of the closest bus. Hans gave them all one more glance before he made his way to a seat. Erik gave Kaira an apologetic look before he turned back to Anna and addressed her with a cordial voice. "Are you alright, Miss North?"

_Oh, right. We aren't supposed to know each other,_ Anna thought. "I'm fine. Your brother is a jerk, though."

Erik chuckled. "I am inclined to agree with you."

"This visit was much more exciting than I imagined it would be," Gerda said, coming to stand next to Erik. She eyed Anna up and down, curiosity obvious to even the non-Empaths around, before addressing Arendelle's mayor. Gerda's overly saccharine smile and tone was back in place. "Well, this has been nice catching up, Kai, but we've got to get this party going. My mother is expecting Erik for dinner tonight."

"How very pleasant," Kaira said dismissively. She turned to the teens under her watch. "We should really get going."

"It's just dinner," Erik said, looking at Kaira imploringly, and Anna caught the irritated look that Gerda shot at him.

"Take Rapunzel straight home, Eugene," she said, ignoring the visitors now that the immediate danger had been averted. Eugene nodded and the two got into his Range Rover. She watched them drive off before turning back to Gerda and Erik, whose pleading look Kaira continued to ignore. "I hope you all enjoyed your visit," she said diplomatically and then turned to Elsa and Anna. "Let's go girls. I'm sure Liv has dinner ready."

"Wait, Kai," Erik all but shouted as he took several steps in their direction. He stopped short though when Kaira sent him an intimidating glare, and he held up his hands in front of him in defeat. "It really is just a meal. They've been asking since I've returned home, and I ran out of excuses to say no."

The eldest Aren sister stared him down for a moment before she turned back to the girls. "We really must go," she said. Kaira gave Erik one more glance. "Enjoy your ferry ride back to the Southern Isles, Westergaard."

And with that, the Mayor turned on her heel and headed toward her car, beckoning the two teens to follow her. Anna gave her uncle a final sympathetic look to which he shook his head a fraction, so minimally that Anna nearly missed it. She jumped when she heard Kaira's voice in her head not a second later.

" _Gerda and Hans are watching you, little one,"_ she said telepathically. " _They're getting very suspicious. Come along, but move slowly._ "

Anna's eyes flickered to the Weselton woman, and confirmed that she was indeed looking at her with suspicion in her eyes. As Anna turned around, deliberately at an exaggerated mortal pace, she caught Hans' look glaring at her from a window on the bus. His expression was discerning, like he was still trying to figure out exactly what was different about her. _This is getting complicated. I should have let Elsa talk me out of coming today,_ she thought to herself as she took Elsa's outstretched hand and let her girlfriend lead her to Kaira's Mercedes.

* * *

Dinner had been a quiet affair. Liv looked around at everyone, obviously curious about what had gone down at the rival game to make her three dinner companions so reticent, but one look from Kaira had her maintaining the silence along with everyone else. When Kaira finished eating, she excused herself to catch up on work she'd set aside to chaperone the Arendelle teens this afternoon. Once she was out of the room, Liv looked at Elsa with a raised eyebrow. The youngest sister whispered so quietly that Anna could barely make out her words even with her now enhanced hearing.

"Erik chaperoned today with Gerda," Elsa said. Liv's eyes went almost comically wide before looking at Anna for confirmation. Anna nodded, even though she wasn't exactly sure what this meant. Liv sighed in response and shoveled the rest of her dinner in her mouth.

"You two are on clean up duty," Liv said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes as she placed her dinner plate in the sink. She grabbed a stool and hopped onto it quickly, reaching into the back of the tallest shelf above the refrigerator. Liv pulled a small golden box that Anna recognized to be more of those Belgian chocolates before jumping down from the small step ladder, her curly blonde hair bouncing about her shoulders. She pointed at the two teens. "I will be finding a new hiding place in the future. Don't even bother," Liv said, and then quickly ran off, presumably toward Kai's home office.

An anxiety all her own bubbled up within Anna. The moment she'd been dreading since the interaction in the parking lot that afternoon had suddenly snuck up on her - she was alone with Elsa. She eyed her girlfriend, trying to determine how mad she might be, but Elsa gave nothing away, quietly and calmly eating the rest of her dinner. When Elsa finally looked up at her, she frowned a little. _Okay, here we go,_ Anna thought, psyching herself up.

"Are you not hungry?" Elsa asked her, her voice sounding concerned.

Anna blinked, not expecting that question or tone. She thought Elsa would surely be very upset with her. "Not particularly," she answered cautiously. "I think I've had my fill."

Elsa nodded and finished her last bite. "We'll just put it in the microwave. I'm sure Liv will eat it later tonight," Elsa said as she began collecting the rest of the dishes on the table. "I'll wash, you dry?"

"Okay," Anna said, trying to decipher Elsa's thoughts. She considered using her empathic gift to read Elsa's mood, but Anna felt that she invaded people's emotional privacy enough without trying that it wasn't fair for her to purposefully look into the hearts of those who trust her to not use her powers against them. So instead, Anna busied her hands to distract herself. The girls worked quickly, Elsa washing dishes by hand and passing them one by one to Anna who was armed with a dish towel. The Aren sisters didn't use their machine dishwasher much, preferring to do it manually because they wanted to conserve water. Anna almost argued that most new dishwashers actually save more water than hand washing did, but after watching the sisters' methods, she knew they were right.

"Did you want to go on a walk with the dogs with me before I take you home?" Elsa asked as Anna put away Kaira's now cleaned wine glass.

"Sure. That sounds nice," Anna said, still slightly wary of Elsa's perceived passiveness. Her girlfriend whistled and they could hear the canines rushing through the house toward them. When Marshmallow spotted Anna, he went straight for her. If it weren't for her now enhanced strength, he definitely would have tackled her to the ground. She laughed through his kisses. "Hey, Marshy. Let's go for a stroll," she said, checking to make sure his collar was in place while Elsa did the same with Olaf.

" _Just a quick walk, girls,"_ Kaira called down to them telepathically. " _And do not step foot in that clearing. I can hear the ruckus Eugene is up to already_."

"Yes, Kai," Elsa said out loud, not bothering to make her voice any louder than normal speaking volume. They then headed outside; Elsa leading Anna down the path she'd taken on Halloween when the wind had caused the ginger girl to get lost in the woods. The dogs darted forward, happy to be outside after being cooped up in the house throughout the evening. Anna kept glancing over at Elsa, wondering if she was going to bring up what had happened that afternoon, yet Elsa kept quiet. Anna found it telling, though, that she hadn't taken her hand as they walked.

"What time are you and Go Go heading out to the eastern shores tomorrow morning?" Elsa asked, her voice airy.

"Seven," Anna said. "She was very surprised when I didn't object to the early hour, but I've been getting up around that time naturally."

Elsa smirked at her. "Take a picture of her shocked face for Liv."

"I'll make sure to," Anna said with a small laugh. She bent down to pat Olaf on the head as he came to check in with them. Her new necklace, the repurposed fire symbol charm gifted to her by her father, slipped out from within her sweater as she leaned forward. Anna had removed it when they attended the game, but she put it back on once they got to Aren Manor. It glinted in the dim light from the moon before she tucked it back into her shirt as she stood up. "I do feel bad, though. I haven't spent time with her in ages."

"I'm sorry. I have been monopolizing your time, haven't I?"

"No! It's not that at all," Anna said, trying to ease Elsa's worry. "I just… I've never been very good at lying. I don't know what I'm going to say if she asks me what's been keeping me away. I can't exactly say, 'well, you see... the thing is my latent superpowers suddenly manifested overnight and I've been busy learning how to control them.'"

"No, I guess you can't say that," Elsa responded. "It's necessary, though; keeping this secret."

It hit Anna right then - like a hidden landmine, a sudden burning irritation filled her senses; knocking into her so abruptly that her steps faltered slightly as her head spun. Elsa's sudden wave of emotion was completely disarming. "Ah," she said quietly, shaking the dizziness from her head. "There it is."

Elsa stopped walking and looked at her innocently. "What do you mean?"

"I was wondering when you were going to let yourself be angry with me," Anna clarified. She turned her body to meet Elsa's gaze. "You stuffed it down so well this time, I didn't even feel a hint of it at all. So go on, let's do this."

"Do what?" Elsa said, her tone still light in an attempt at deflection.

"You know what," Anna said, her own irritation rising. She knew what Elsa was trying to do - 'conceal, don't feel' was her girlfriend's default response to any emotions that made her uncomfortable. "We're going to talk about why you're angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you," Elsa said evenly.

"Well, you have every right to be."

"Okay... I was a little upset earlier, but I'm over it now," Elsa responded after a brief pause. She then turned and took a couple steps following the trail of her pups, but Anna dashed around her and blocked the path.

"You don't have to lie to me, love. We should talk about this."

"There's nothing to discuss," Elsa said cooly, though the frustration was now clear on her face. "You didn't feel like you needed to tell me about this one small thing. It seemed inconsequential and you didn't want me to worry about it. I understand your logic."

"But you don't like it," Anna finished Elsa's unspoken thought for her. Elsa glared at her for a moment before she tore her gaze away with a sigh.

"Just drop it, okay? There's no use in fighting over something of such little consequence," Elsa retorted shortly, stepping around Anna to continue down the path. Anna stuck right next to her though, matching each stride, and grabbed Elsa's hand to stop her. Elsa's ire flowed into her, raging madly like fire in her belly.

"You're obviously still upset about it, and it's not as little as you'd like me to think," Anna said, taking a deep breath to steady her emotions. She attempted to send calming feelings to Elsa, but the blonde tore her hand out of Anna's grasp when she realized what she was doing and looked at Anna incredulously before storming away. Anna ran to catch up with her. "I want to talk about this. We can't just ignore it."

"Enough, Anna."

"No," Anna said forcefully, stepping in front of Elsa once more. Her own anger was starting to solidify. "I want to _understand_. Why did this get to you so badly? Why don't you want to talk to me about what's bothering you?"

"I said, 'enough!'" There was a flash a white light and ice jutted out of the earth behind Elsa in an instant as she finally gave in to her anger. She glared at Anna, the ice around her glowing gold with her fury. Elsa glanced behind her at the angry shards and nearly snarled at them. "This! This is why I don't want to talk about it. When I'm angry… or sad… or… just anything... When I lose focus… I can't control what I do! What if you were standing there?" Elsa asked, nodding her head behind her, voice laden with tension and sadness. "I couldn't stand it if I hurt you on accident. So no, I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't matter what I feel about anything. All that matters is making sure that people around me are safe."

Anna stayed quiet as she watched her girlfriend pace back and forth in front of the icy spikes she'd unwilling conjured, the physical embodiment of her frustration and outrage. Elsa's angry confession and instinctual display of her raw powers was enough insight for the Empath. The confirmation of how much guilt and responsibility Elsa made herself shoulder pained Anna, but that was a hurdle for another day. She knew Elsa, and she knew that what Elsa needed in this moment was to gather herself. Her patience paid off in the end. Eventually, Elsa stopped moving, the rhythmic tapping of her boots on the thin layer of ice beneath her quieting, and she took a breath.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said calmly, turning to face Anna. "I didn't mean to lose my temper."

"No, it's okay. I pushed you," Anna said patiently, taking a tentative step toward Elsa. Her girlfriend waved an arm, ridding the path of her summoned icicles, and let Anna close the gap between them. "Hans' number. I didn't use it, but it still affected you so much," Anna tried in a gentle voice as she took Elsa's hand. Regret… unhappiness… shame… and still that quiet sort of anger… so much flowed through their connection to Anna. "Tell me why, please?"

Elsa shook her head. "It's not important."

"If it makes you feel this strongly then it's important to me," Anna said encouragingly. Elsa met her eyes once more and Anna saw the shininess that indicated Elsa was much more upset than her words or tone gave away. She moved her hand to cup Elsa's cheek. "You don't have to hide your feelings from me. It's actually kind of pointless, really."

Elsa let out a heavy breath, yielding to Anna's probing. "I didn't think we needed to keep secrets from each other anymore. Trust and honesty. I thought that's what we had."

"It _is_ what we _have_. This was an error in judgement on my part, but it was before everything else. It won't happen again," Anna said imploringly. When Elsa's darkened disposition didn't seem to be affected, Anna tried a different tactic. She gave Elsa the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. "You do believe me, right?"

Elsa rolled her eyes at Anna's expression. "I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work," Elsa said, but then Anna stuck her bottom lip out and the corners of Elsa's mouth twitched before she regained her composure.

Anna caught the slip, though, and she gave Elsa a little half-smile. "Would it help to know I'd completely forgotten about Hans' number until today?"

There was a pause as Elsa considered this information. "A little," Elsa said finally, keeping any inflection from her voice, but Anna felt the tension in Elsa's mood lighten slightly and she smiled a little wider at the blonde.

"How about this? We make a promise to each other, right here and now. No more secrets. No shutting each other out," Anna said, pulling her hand away from Elsa's cheek and holding it out to her with her pinky extended. Elsa eyed her girlfriend for a moment, but it was brief. Anna's bright optimism was always contagious. Elsa hooked her own pinky with Anna's offered one.

"Promise," Elsa said before pulling Anna in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not realize how long this chapter had gotten until I started doing the final proofread this morning... Anyway - I hope you enjoyed it :) Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Thank you for reading and thank you to my BETA (chosen sisters support you like no other). Until next week, my lovely readers! Stay safe out there!


	26. The Tour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

_Elsa sent out a long whistle, calling both dogs to them as she and Anna turned around to head back toward the house. Anna took her hand readily, holding her close as they leisurely strolled down the path. Both dogs soon darted past them, but the girls kept their easy pace. They walked in silence for several minutes, enjoying the cool spring night as they walked hand in hand through the woods._

" _So," Anna said eventually, ending the quiet. Elsa turned her head to look at her, not breaking stride, and raised an eyebrow at her questioningly._

" _So?"_

" _Our first fight…"_

_Both of Elsa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The thought hadn't actually occurred to her. "Hm, I guess we did just have our first fight," she said. After a brief pause, she stopped their forward progress and turned her body to Anna. "Are we okay?"_

_Anna nodded eagerly. "Totally. More than okay, actually," Anna said firmly, but offered Elsa a soft smile which was quickly returned with that stunning little smirk that Anna loved so much. She hooked her left arm through Elsa's right, holding onto her girlfriend's upper arm as she started pulling her toward the house again._

" _Good. I'd hate to upset you terribly," Elsa said earnestly. They walked several paces before she continued in a soft voice. "It scares me, talking about all of… that."_

" _I feel like I understand you even better now. I'm glad you told me how you feel," Anna said soothingly. She glanced sideways at Elsa, giving her a sheepish sort of look. "Even if I did kind of force it out of you. I'm sorry for pushing so hard."_

" _There's nothing for you to be sorry about." Elsa stopped their walk again, pulling Anna close and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist. Anna tilted her head up to meet Elsa's eyes when she felt her bangs get brushed aside before Elsa's arms were around her again. Elsa smiled. "I know I tend to be closed off. I've been keeping my emotions in for so long, it's hard to open up. I don't want to be closed off from you, though. Not ever. For you, I want to be better, and sometimes I will need that push. So thank you."_

_Anna blushed, glad that the only light came from the moon on this clear night. She tilted her head back more, ever slightly, in a silent request for a kiss. Elsa fulfilled the askance without hesitation. When they parted, Anna was still feeling a little chagrined._

" _I'm still sorry though," she said._

_Elsa smiled at her. "Well then, if it makes you feel better… You are most forgiven," Elsa responded and gave her another kiss before they finished their journey back to the house._

* * *

**15 April 2020**

_Jab, jab, hook... Breathe. Jab, jab, hook... Breathe,_ Anna repeated in her head. _When is Uncle Erik getting here? My arms are so tired._

"Keep that wrist straight, Anna," Liv reminded her. Anna nodded as she adjusted her arms and rolled back her shoulders.

_Jab, jab, hook… Breathe… Hurry up, Uncle Erik… Jab, jab, hook… Breathe… Come to think of it, when is the last time Uncle Rorik was here?... Jab, jab, hook… Can arms fall off? Mine are_ definitely _going to fall off... Jab -_

"Let's take a break," Liv said, holding up a hand to pause Anna's exercise. She let go of the punching bag she was stabilizing and came around it to stand before the teen. "Where's your head at today, Anna bear?"

"Huh? No where," Anna responded, wiping her brows on the wrappings around her wrists and hands. "Why?"

"You seem distracted. You forgot to take a breath between that last set, and your footing was all wrong." Liv used her own foot to scoot Anna's left foot over two inches, giving her a slightly wider, but more stable, stance. "Plus, you forgot to switch your leading jab on that last set. I don't want you to get into bad habits. Are you tired? Am I pushing you too hard? Should we call it quits for today?"

"No!" Anna shouted in a slight panic. Liv raised her eyebrows at her, and Anna let out a sigh. "Sorry, I don't mean to shout. It's just… learning how to fight feels more important than ever."

Liv frowned and motioned for Anna to sit on one of the workout benches that were placed around the home gym in the garage of Aren Manor. She handed the teen a bottle of water and a small towel. "Okay, small fry. Spill it - tell me what's bothering you. Is this about Elsa?"

"What? No, Elsa and I are great," Anna said earnestly as she wiped her face, the towel doing a better job of ridding her of her sheen of sweat than her wrist wrappings did. Elsa and she were stronger than ever. Following their argument after the rival lacrosse game, Anna felt that they'd reached a new level in their relationship. They'd survived their first ever fight and came out better for it on the other end. "More than great, actually."

"Okay. Then what's on your mind?"

"I don't know," Anna said with a shrug. She didn't really want to voice it out loud. She wouldn't call herself superstitious at all, but she didn't want to jinx anything. The look on Liv's face, however, said she wasn't going to just let Anna drop it. She took a sip of her water to gather her thoughts. "Ever since that last interaction with Hans, something feels… off? Like my world is teetering between what it is now and something else. Almost as if something bad is just waiting to happen. I know Uncle Erik says there's nothing to dwell over, but I can't help worrying about it. It sounds silly, I know."

Liv exhaled loudly, causing Anna to meet her gaze. Liv gave her a small, sympathetic smile before she continued in a gentle tone. "Are you sure these aren't perhaps Elsa's anxieties that you're picking up on? Because you're sounding a lot like my fretful baby sister."

"Well, Elsa's worries are a whole other conversation, but no, this is all mine and I don't think my worries are totally unfounded," Anna insisted. "Neither Uncle Rorik nor Uncle Erik have been able to get away from the Southern Isles since the lacrosse game. Does that _not_ seem suspicious to you? And I mean, take today for example. Uncle Erik was supposed to be here over an hour ago. He's _never_ late! I can't help but wonder if something is wrong."

"I'm just fine."

Anna and Liv turned toward the open garage door leading out to the long driveway. Anna instantly felt relieved. Erik was right - he looked just fine, if a little apologetic.

"You're late, Westergaard," Liv said playfully.

"I know. My apologies, but I got a little caught up," Erik said, his tone light and his eyes darted to and away from Anna so quickly that she almost missed it. His tense apprehension filled the air around Anna, though, completely betraying his attempt at levity.

Anna frowned deeply. Erik's uneasy feeling was almost confirmation of her troubled thoughts. She crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you hiding, Uncle Erik?"

He sighed deeply and looked at Liv. "How is anyone ever supposed to have secrets with both a Telepath and an Empath constantly around?"

"Oh, I gave up on secrets years ago," Liv said, waving a hand absently. "Now I'm just brutally honest with Kai all the time, a trait she equally appreciates and resents. Perhaps you should give that a try?"

Erik squinted at her, considering the advice seriously. He ultimately shakes his head. "This sounds like a trap."

"Oh, it's most def-"

"No. Nuh uh. Stop that right now," Anna said in irritation. She'd been tense for nearly a fortnight already. The high nerves brought her defenses down and made school a much more laborious task to get through daily with all the highly emotional teenagers in such close proximity. She had very little patience this afternoon. _I knew I should have just gone with Elsa and Rapunzel to help out at the Park_ , she thought as she stared down her two tutors for today. Liv and Erik together could sometimes feel like dealing with a mischievous pair of highly intelligent toddlers. "I don't have the capacity today for the Liv and Erik double act. Something is wrong, I can feel it. Just tell me what it is."

Erik looked at Liv pleadingly, but she only shrugged. He turned to Anna and observed her for a long pause before a small, sad smile lit his face. "You remind me very much of my mother at this moment. She would have liked you a lot. You definitely would have been her favorite grandchild." The comment caught Anna off guard and her posture relaxed slightly, her arms uncrossing and falling to their sides. She watched him take off his windbreaker jacket and drape it on one of Liv's many exercise machines before he turned to her again. "Not that there's much competition. Most of my nephews are rather unpleasant."

Anna smirked, but shook her head. "You're trying to distract me," she said with a frown. "I want to know what's going on." She really hated secrets. The life long one her mother had kept from her had really taken its toll on Anna's psyche.

"Favorite by far," he muttered mostly to himself, that little smile still in place as he did. Erik met her gaze with resolve and his shoulders slumped slightly as he relented to her stubborn determination. "Hans won't let go of his suspicions. Rorik and I have been trying to do damage control, but he's proving unmovable. He won't drop it and has been trying to convince any of our brothers that will give him the time of day that there's something fishy going on here regarding you and your relationship with the 'Snow Queen,'" he explained, making air quotes around the prophetic title that caused the Fire Spirit family to break the longest standing treaty in the River Borns' history.

"And has he convinced anyone?" Liv asked, her tone serious.

Erik shook his head. "Not yet. Most of our brothers pay him no mind - they will always see him as mother's baby boy just seeking attention. It's been lucky that Lars has been gone on business. He's our biggest worry. You know his stance on the current treaty. He'd jump at any opportunity he finds to break it."

"Is there anything Kai or I can do to help?"

"There's nothing anyone can do. We can only hope that Hans loses interest soon," Erik answered. "Until then, it would be best if Rorik and I keep our visits to a minimum. He's most suspicious of us two. That's what kept me so long today. He's been following me since that day at the lacrosse game. It took me a while to get him off my back this afternoon. I don't want him to discover that we've been coming over here so often."

_You cannot let them discover who you are. Your father was very clear - they will find a way to use your gifts for their own gain,_ Anna heard her mother's voice repeat in her head.

Fear gripped her heart as her mother's warning rang through her mind, tension building exponentially as if her world were caught between the jaws of a vise. The worries she'd been carrying since her last interaction with Hans felt weightier now. What was she going to do? If Hans or Lars figured it out, would she and her mother have to leave? Anna was pretty sure she would find it too difficult to leave Elsa. She couldn't possibly do it. Could they bring Elsa with them wherever they go? If they stayed and Hans was successful, what would they make her do? Lars' end goal is to destroy Elsa, she knew that, but how would he use her to do it? Not that she ever would - she'd never hurt Elsa. Her mind raced through all the possible scenarios, spinning her head round and round through all her distressing projections. The floor below her felt off kilter. Warm hands gripped her shoulders, guiding her to sit down.

"Anna, can you hear me?" Liv's voice hit her ears in a muffled way despite that Anna could see her kneeling right in front of her, as if she was speaking to her through a thick glass wall. She snapped her figures in front of Anna's face, the sound bursting through like a stereo with the bass set too high. She blinked in response, wincing slightly as the world suddenly came back into focus. "It's okay. Try to slow down your breathing," Liv said quietly as she pulled Anna into her lap and encased her in a tight hug. It made Anna feel slightly better, like the comfort of a weighted blanket on a restless night. "Breathe with me, sweetie. Slowly."

Anna hadn't even realized that her breaths were coming in a frenetic sort of pattern until Liv wrapped her arms around her. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying her best to calm her mind and her heart, but her thoughts kept drifting to the fretting spiral she seemed to wander down moments ago. All the what ifs and and maybes bounced about her thoughts, ricocheting around her head with all her imagined possible futures, each one more horrific than the last. She tried to take in shaky breath after shaky breath, but she couldn't quell the anxiety that filled her... Then she felt that tug. That ever comforting pull that told her Elsa was on her way. Anna clung to it, the much needed anchor to her unmoored ship on a turbulent inner sea.

"Anna?" Elsa's frantic voice came from a little ways away, but Anna quickly felt her presence beside her. When she spoke again, Elsa was so close she was nearly speaking in her ear. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's having a bit of a panic attack," Liv said, her voice sounding more unsteady than Anna was used to it being, and that made her uneasiness increase.

"Oh… Anna, love. Open your eyes," Elsa said gently.

"I…" Anna tried, but she still couldn't get her world to slow down. Elsa took in Anna's uneven breathing, her shaking body, her tear streaked cheeks. The crease between Elsa's eyebrows deepened as Anna's overall state registered. She quickly leaned down to touch her forehead to Anna's and took a deep breath. Elsa conjured up all her most calming memories - watching the first natural snowfall of the winter, her mother singing a lullaby to her before bed, the way Anna's laughter wraps her in warmth.

"Inhale… hold on to it for a moment… good. Now, exhale slowly…" Anna instantly began to ease as she focused on Elsa. She allowed Elsa's soothing relief flood through her, calming the panicked storm that had been raging inside of her. The calm allowed Anna time to rid her mind of her frantic predictions and focus instead on happier memories. It took several minutes of Elsa coaching Anna to slow down her breathing and to calm down her heart rate before Anna finally opened her eyes and pulled back slightly. When her teal eyes met Elsa's bright blue ones, she felt righted - like there was once again a focal point that she could reach.

"I think I feel better now," Anna said as she wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, which was still wrapped from her training session with Liv. Elsa stroked her cheek and looked into her eyes, and Anna gave her a small smile. "You're back early."

"I felt something strange through our bond and I ran home as fast as I could. I could tell you were distressed and I was worried something was amiss," Elsa explained as she wiped away a stray tear from Anna's chin. "Thank the spirits you're okay. What's wrong, love?"

"I don't know. That's never happened to me before." Anna shifted slightly and noticed there were arms still wrapped firmly around her. She turned her head to look at the woman holding her. "Thanks, Liv."

"I've dealt with many of Elsa's panic attacks," Liv said, loosening her hold on Anna. Elsa looked slightly affronted that Liv revealed that information, making a small huff of indignation. "Oh don't look at me like that, snowbug. You know it's true. Speaking of which," Liv paused and turned to Anna. "Elsa gets this way when she's been pushing her feelings down so much that when she finally can't anymore, it's catastrophic." Liv raised an accusing eyebrow at Anna, who blushed and stared at her hands.

"When there's too many people around, I run out of rooms to hold all the emotions," Anna said quietly. "It makes it easier if I push my own aside so I can focus on handling the ones that come in from others."

"Hm... Let's make sure to talk to Kai. Maybe she'll have an idea how to exercise that," Liv said thoughtfully.

Anna sighed, but nodded. She hated admitting her weaknesses with her empathic powers. She prided herself on her ability to handle them easily. It was daunting to know that there was still so much to work on with the part of her new self that felt like it came naturally. _Get it together Anna Rae,_ she thought to herself. _Don't slide backwards._

"It's not sliding backwards, it's just room to grow," Elsa said encouragingly. Anna looked up into Elsa's questioningly, and Elsa blinked a few times before realization dawned on her. "Oh, did your inside thoughts become outside thoughts again? That hasn't happened in a while. I've missed it." Anna blushed at Elsa's playful look, but couldn't help but chuckle a little. It was nice to know that, even after a literal life altering transformation, some things never change.

"Erik's news must have pushed your feelings over the edge," Liv concluded, brushing aside Anna's bangs. "It's nothing to work yourself up over… again."

"What news?" Elsa asked, turning to Erik, but Anna beat him to answer.

"Hans isn't letting up. He's convinced there's something about me, and he's trying to sway some of his brothers to see his way."

Elsa's eyes hardened, darting between Anna and Erik, making a round to Liv quickly before settling back on Anna when the expressions from the two adults left little question. Elsa seemed to stiffen with resolve and swiped Anna's bangs aside with affection. "Okay."

"Okay? That's it?! Didn't you hear what I said? What are we going to do?" Anna exclaimed emphatically. _Why is no one else worried about this? Am I going crazy?_ Anna hopped up from Liv's lap and started pacing, looking at her feet as she walked and waving her hands frantically around herself as she spoke. "What if he figures it out? What if he convinces any _one_ of his brothers that there's -"

"Love, slow down."

"- something to his suspicions? Do we have to leave? Should we run -"

"No, Anna. Listen to -"

"- until this dies down a little? We could always hide somewhere and just pre-"

"Anna!" Elsa grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing Anna to look at her. "Take a breath," Elsa commanded gently. Anna shook her head slightly and did as Elsa said. When she finally felt calmer, she looked at Elsa sheepishly. "That's it. Now, let's not panic."

"Let's not panic? _You_ , Elsa, are telling _me_ not to panic?" Anna said slowly. She looked at Elsa incredulously, and then let out a short humorless laugh before muttering to herself. "I really must have gone off the deep end…"

Elsa gave her that crooked smile, the one that pulled at the left side of her mouth and revealed that single dimple that Anna was convinced was made just for her. "Well, you're taking up all the panic capacity in the room already. One of us has to keep her head," she said softly. Elsa gave her a quick kiss before she turned to Erik. "What's the situation? Should we do as Anna thinks - leave for a little bit until this blows over?"

Erik shook his head. "As I was trying to tell her before, Rorik and I are handling Hans. None of our other brothers takes Hans seriously about much. Some of them have been pretending he's invisible since we were kids," he explained with such confidence that it brought much needed ease, however slight, to both teens. "I truly believe this is just a small hiccup. Hans has never followed through with anything that proves to be too difficult, and Lars has been out of town for business for weeks. He isn't scheduled to be back until next month so there's nothing to worry about. At the most, I think Anna should avoid Hans completely. Luckily, that's not too difficult to accomplish."

Elsa nodded and took a deep breath. She held herself composed and tall, but Anna could feel the slight anxiety underneath the conjured bravado. She turned to Anna with a determined look on her face. "I know we talked about supporting Eugene at the lacrosse game in the Southern Isles on Friday, but -"

"No, I agree," Anna said dejectedly. She was looking forward to attending her first away game with the rest of the student body, but in light of the news, it was better to play it safe. "I'll text him. He'll understand," she said as she pulled out her phone and tapped out a quick message to Eugene before she slipped it back into her pocket. When she looked back up, Erik was checking his watch.

"I only have about an hour before I need to head back. Let's go to the backyard and give those arms a rest shall we?" Erik said, looking at Liv pointedly.

"Don't question my methods. She's stronger already," Liv said in her own defense.

"I never said that she wasn't. You're doing a great job with Anna's training," Erik responded as they walked past the library and through the sliding door to the backyard. "Now, Anna, it's been some time since I've been here. Have you been practicing modulating the fire like we talked about?"

"Yup! Nearly every day."

"And how has it been coming along?"

"I've been making a lot of progress. I think I've gotten much better at controlling it."

"I think that's an overestimation," Elsa mumbled under her breath.

"What was that, love?" Anna said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You heard me," Elsa pouted. Anna always found it amusing when Elsa was being petulant. It completely contradicted her usual stoic Ice Queen persona that outsiders were accustomed to seeing. Anna couldn't help the amused smile that found its way to her lips.

"Are you still sore about yesterday?"

"You almost set me on fire!"

"But I _didn't_ ," Anna said and gave Elsa a kiss on the cheek. "I'd say that's progress."

Elsa rolled her eyes but gave Anna a smile. "Okay, then continue to make progress, love. I'm going to head back to finish helping Uncle Fred. Unless you need me to stay?"

"No, no. You go and have fun with the scouts," Anna said.

"Good. Because these are my favorite jeans and I'd be sad if they got singed too," Elsa quipped with a sly smile on her face, quickly stepping out of arm's reach as Anna made to smack her shoulder.

"Just get out of here, you stinker," Anna said in mock anger. Elsa chuckled and quickly stepped back in to give Anna a kiss before darting off in the direction of the park. Anna turned back to the fire pit just as Erik got the kindling crackling.

"Okay, Anna. Let's start by building up this fire," he said.

"Wait a second," Liv said. She dashed about fifty feet to the other side of the yard before she called back to them. "Okay! I'm ready!"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny, Liv."

"Can't be too careful, Anna bear!"

* * *

Anna awoke on Saturday morning before the sun even rose. She looked at the clock to see that it was just after six o'clock. She rolled onto her back and sighed, reminiscing about the days where her body could sleep until noon without trying. Anna closed her eyes, trying to will herself to go back to sleep. It's not that she was tired at all, but more so that she wasn't sure what to do with herself if she got up. All her homework was already done; Elsa and she had decided to get it all out of the way last night since they didn't travel to the Southern Isles for the game. And since both her girlfriend and best friend were spending the morning guiding the scouts along the trails at the park, she had most of the day to occupy on her own. There was always Netflix, but spending hours scrolling through the options before deciding to watch something she'd probably watched dozens of times before didn't sound very appealing today.

She had just thrown her blankets back over her head in a defeated form of protest to getting out of bed when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Anna slowly pulled the comforter down, angling her left ear toward the door more, and waited for the noise again. Even for her mother, this hour was much too early on a Saturday to be up and about. When she heard the rustling again, she quietly slinked out of bed and slowly opened her door, adrenaline spiking as her mind immediately went to unwanted intruders, or worse - unwanted Westergaards. Silently dashing down the hallway, Anna stopped with her back flush against the wall just outside of the kitchen doorway and slowly turned her head around to peek into the room.

Anna let out a quiet sigh of relief to see Go Go pulling down a mug from the cupboard while the coffee maker percolated. She stepped into the kitchen just as Go Go closed the cabinet door.

"G'morning, Go Go," she said. Go Go gasped loudly as she spun around completely startled, fumbling the mug she was holding as her arms involuntarily jerked to cover her heart. Anna, only being a step out of arm's reach, reflexively leaned down and caught the cup just before it hit the floor. She set the mug on the counter, and when she met Go Go's wide eyes, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"How did you do that?"

Anna frowned, confused by Go Go's question. "Do what?"

"Catch the mug," Go Go clarified. She wore a deeply calculating look as suspicion ignited behind her eyes. "The Anna I know can barely put one foot in front of the other, let alone successfully catch a falling object. Plus, you snuck up on me very quietly, and you're generally too bumbling to avoid making noise," Go Go said as she scrutinized Anna up and down like she was trying to decipher what might be different about her. Anna stood very still, but tried her best to appear relaxed. Eventually, Go Go shrugged. "I guess Liv's training is really doing wonders."

The second time Anna had visited Go Go after her powers were unlocked, Anna had inadvertently bent a steel rod on the boat when she'd cranked down on a pulley meant to drop a device her mother had tasked them to place out in the bay. She hastily brushed it off with a laugh, a quick 'I guess I don't know my own strength,' and a not entirely false narrative that she'd been doing some strength training with Liv. Thankfully Go Go seemed to buy it at the time, and was apparently still convinced that was the reason behind Anna's sudden increased strength and dexterity.

"Ha, yeah! She's tough, but it seems to be working," Anna said, busying herself by searching the fridge so she wouldn't have to look at Go Go directly. She grabbed the carton of chocolate milk and turned back to Go Go when she felt calm enough. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Your mom asked me to help her pick up some stuff from the harbor today. Apparently there was a shipment of live sea snails from Norway that caused a little confusion and are just waiting for us to pick them up. I brought the truck along."

"Why are there Norwegian snails waiting for you at the docks?"

"To help naturally keep the tanks clean. Species that thrive in the waters surrounding Norway should survive in our tanks here," her mother said as she walked into the kitchen, buttoning the cuffs on her blouse. "Good morning, little duck. You're up very early today."

"Oh, ya know. When Nature speaks, I listen," Anna said, as she poured herself a glass of her chosen drink. Her mother gave her a knowing smile. In Iduna's opinion, if there was one bright side of Anna's powers being accidentally unbound, it was that she no longer had to fight her daughter's deep slumber to force her out of bed in the mornings anymore.

"You mean 'when nature calls?'" Go Go quipped, smiling at Anna.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That," Anna said quickly, opting to take a large gulp of milk. _You are such a spaz. Stop acting so weird or she's going to figure it out,_ she thought to herself, slightly annoyed at her own transparent behavior.

"I'm actually glad you're up, Anna," Iduna said as she served herself some coffee. "Did you mention that you aren't seeing Elsa today?"

"Yeah… Well, at least this morning. Elsa and Rapunzel won't be done at the Park until the afternoon. Did you need something?"

Her mother nodded as she mixed the cream into her coffee. "I was hoping you could help me with a little project at the facility this morning if you haven't anything else to do?"

"Sure! I'll go get ready," Anna said. She downed the rest of her chocolate milk and put her cup in the sink.

"Wear something you won't mind getting dirty."

Anna paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at her mother. "That does not sound reassuring."

Her mother only laughed. "You'll be fine, Anna."

* * *

_I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning_.

Anna was currently up to her knees in the homegrown kelp forest tank that housed the sea otters currently taking residence at the Institute. When they'd gotten to her mother's work, Iduna had led her to the recovery bay where most of the animals under their care stayed when they weren't actively working in the rehabilitation bay. Her mother handed her a handheld metal scraper, a bucket, and a set of waterproof over-pants with attached galoshes. Then she instructed Anna to rid the sea otter habitat of barnacles and tidy it up a bit.

" _I know it's not ideal, little duck, but poor Mr. Crawly spent hours in the seal tank scraping away yesterday and ended up spraining his elbow," her mother had said when Anna gave her a disgruntled look at the job request. "You'll have a much easier time with your new found strength and the otters would really appreciate it. You love the otters, do you not?"_

" _Yeah," Anna sighed. "They hold hands when they sleep, mom. Only someone heartless wouldn't love an otter… Fine. Give me that bucket."_

And that's how Anna found herself searching through the kelp for all the toys that the researchers used to observe the otters' cognitive skills and to keep them occupied. Anna had studied otters quite a bit when she was younger (Anna called it the healthy interest of a child, her mother called it an obsessive phase), and knew that they were extremely clever but also rather mischievous and playful. The researchers had provided the little family of otters with several puzzle toys to occupy their minds and keep them from causing slight mayhem out of boredom. However, there was one young male pup, Anna had taken to calling him Loki for obvious reasons, that liked to hide his favorite toys throughout the little aquarium, and she was currently sloughing through the seaweed for the last three pieces.

"Yes! Now, only two more," Anna said to herself as she tossed a red, star-shaped plastic block onto the deck where the other toys she'd already uncovered were already piled up. As she bent back over to continue her search, something shiny caught her eye and she looked down to see that her necklace had slipped out from inside of her shirt and was dangling close to the water. Anna wiped her hands on a dry part of her over-pants and tucked the charm back in before resuming. She was busy poking around the plant life when a flash startled her. She looked up to see that Go Go was pointing a phone in her direction. "What are you taking a picture of?"

"Oh, I just figured your girlfriend would love to see this," Go Go said as she tapped at her screen.

"And since when have you started texting Elsa?"

"Since today," Go Go replied, sending Anna an impish sort of smile. "I've had her number for a while. Liv thought it would be a 'good to have in case of an Anna related emergency,' but this image is far too good not to share right away."

"You say that as if these oversized rubber pants aren't flattering," Anna said with exaggerated sarcasm, waving a hand over her body. "Well actually, I'd be hot in anything," she added, barely containing her laughter at her own joke. Just then, her hand brushed against something that was distinctly not slimy kelp. She snatched it up and held it over her head triumphantly. "Aha! Only one more to… wait a second."

Anna looked between the pile of toys and the red, star-shaped plastic block in her hand. The pile was definitely missing the last thing she'd tossed over there. She whipped her head around until her eyes landed on the small sea otter that was innocently floating on his back several feet away from her.

"Loki, you naughty boy. I'm trying to clean up here. At least wait until I finally get out of these horrid pants," Anna said in frustration. The object of her annoyance simply cocked his head to one side as he drifted closer to her. She rolled her eyes and sighed, tossing the red block to him. "You're lucky you are ridiculously adorable," she muttered as he dove back into the kelp, likely to find another hiding spot. Anna heard Go Go snickering and Anna stuck her tongue out at her.

"Get on out, Anna bear. You've done enough for today," Go Go said, holding a hand out to help Anna step out of the tank. "Your mom wanted me to let you know to meet her in her office. She just got back in from Oaken's."

It took all of Anna's restraint to move at a reasonable pace toward the hot cocoa and chocolate croissant awaiting her in her mother's office. She yanked off the unsightly rubber pants, snagging one of her laces in the process ( _I'll re-tie that once I have chocolate in my system_ ), and washed her hands before she bid adieu to Go Go as the older girl headed back to her lab. Anna had just waved to Hank, the security guard at the front desk who was sipping from his own to-go cup from Oaken's ( _probably a thoughtful treat from Mama_ ), as she passed through the entrance hall when a voice called out to her that made her stomach feel like lead at the end of a fly line.

"Hey, Anna! I was hoping I'd run into you here today," Hans said as he came into the front lobby from the research area. He wore a wicked grin that Anna suspected was meant to appear friendly, but it didn't brighten his eyes as a genuine smile should. It was more menacing, like a hunter who had just cornered its prey. "We just passed Go Go in the hallway. She said we'd find you at your mother's office."

"What are you doing here, Hans? My mother didn't mention that your family would be visiting the facility today," Anna said, doing her best to adopt the unaffected tone and stoic face that she knew her girlfriend was a master at achieving. _Mama never would have let me near here, let alone asked me here herself, had she known there would be Westergaards around._

"Oh, I took your advice and called the Institute to set up that tour I was asking you about. They set me up with Dr. Thatch for today."

"And your family just let you come to Arendelle all by yourself?" Anna knew that probably wasn't the case. She was just hoping that Rorik or Erik was around somewhere as his chaperone.

"Of course not. That would be against the treaty," Hans confirmed, but his smile was too smug for comfort. The doors to the research wing opened once more, and Milo Thatch came out followed by none other than the eldest of Hans' brothers. "Anna, you remember my brother Lars."

"Yes, of course," Anna said, nodding at the imposing man. She actively worked at remaining calm, taking slow breaths to keep her heart rate down. The last thing she wanted was for Elsa to feel her discomfort through their bond and come running like she did the other day when Anna had her unprecedented episode of panic. Controlling her nerves was proving to be a difficult ask though as Lars frowned down at her, scrutinizing her with even more discernment than the first time they'd met. "I should get going. My mother is expecting me. I hope you both enjoy the remainder of your tour."

"Miss North," Lars said, voice as gravelly as she remembered, just as Anna turned toward the hall that led to the administration offices. She looked back at him, wishing to escape this situation as quickly as possible. "Your shoelace is untied."

"Huh?" She looked down when Lars nodded to her Chucks. _I knew I should have tied it back by the otters_. "Oh, right! Thank you." Anna leaned down to quickly tie her laces, and as she did, something shiny caught her eye as it slipped out from inside of her shirt and dangled from her neck in full display. Her heart skipped a beat; there was no way the quick eyes of the River Born brothers did not see the charm her father had gifted her. As fast as she could without it being suspicious, she tucked it back into her shirt and tied her shoe. "Well, have a good day!" She said in an overly cheery voice and tried to make a hasty retreat, but was stopped once more by Lars' naturally commanding voice.

"Just a second, Miss _North_ ," Lars said, emphasizing her surname in a way that made Anna extremely uncomfortable. He stepped closer to her, close enough that Anna could feel the heat emanating from his body, as if a fire constantly burned inside of him. "That's an interesting necklace you're wearing."

"Oh, is it?" Anna said, her voice, though even and steady, was several steps higher in pitch than normal. She spoke very quickly in an attempt to get this interaction over with faster. "I just got it recently. My thoughts were more along the lines of 'shiny and pretty' rather than interesting."

"I think you are fully aware of why that pendant is interesting," Lars said slowly, his eyes calculating as he observed her expression. "With the crowd you run with, how could you not?"

"I'm not sure wha-"

"There you are, Anna," her mother's voice interrupted as she came down the hall. "I was wondering what was keeping…" Iduna cut herself off when she noticed who was standing in the front lobby with her daughter. Anna watched as her mother's posture changed in an instant - back straighter, chin taller, shoulders poised ( _my mother is a queen_ , she thought). Iduna hastened her pace and addressed the visitors with an even tone. "Hello, Mr. Westergaard. I was not aware that you would be here today."

"I hadn't planned on it. I'd only gotten back home from an extended business trip last night, but Hans assured me that the tour would be worth my while. It would appear that, unlike most instances," Lars paused as he turned his gaze back to Anna, "he was right."

"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the facilities," Iduna said airily before she looked back at her daughter. "Anna darling, I've kept you far too long. I think you're running late," she said. Anna turned to her mother with a slight frown, but her mother continued. "I believe you mentioned Kaira needed your help at nine this morning. Just tell the mayor everything that happened around here that kept you away."

"But you -"

"I can finish up here, don't worry," Iduna said. The look she gave Anna left no room for argument. "I'll be fine. I'll see you at home later. Go on now before you're much later."

Anna nodded her understanding and left through the front door. Once she was out of sight of the Institute's many windows, she ran as fast as she could toward the Aren Manor. _Kai, I'm on my way,_ Anna thought as intently as she could once she knew she was close enough. Within seconds she was dashing up the long driveway, and saw Kaira standing in the open doorway.

"Good morning, sweetie. Elsa's still out at the… What's wrong, little one? You're shaking," Kaira said when Anna finally stopped in front of her. She brushed aside Anna's bangs and cupped her cheek, concern written all over her face.

"Lars and Hans are at the Institute," Anna said just as Liv walked up behind her older sister. "They know... They know I'm a Westergaard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! I haven't done a cliff hanger in a while. I'm both sorry and not sorry. Comments are always appreciated :) Thank you all, as always, for reading! And thanks a bunch to my BETA - my sister who so kindly likes to remind me on a daily basis that chocolate is technically carbs (well, it doesn't count) and also not a major food group (well, it should be). Until next week, my lovely readers!


	27. The Triangle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

" _Raps, you know we aren't supposed to go down this path," Elsa said as she scrambled to climb over a large tree branch that had fallen across the trail. She looked behind her once she was over it to see if she could still spot the rest of their Junior Wilderness Explorers troupe. She could just make out the small cohort of yellow caps through the gaps between the trees. When Elsa turned back around to follow her cousin, she found the rambunctious girl was nowhere in sight. "Rapunzel!" Elsa whisper shouted. "Where did you go?"_

_A yellow-blonde little girl poked her head out from around a tree and grinned at her. "Hurry up, Elsie! I saw him waddling this way without his mama. We have to get him back to the pond!"_

" _We're going to get in trouble," Elsa complained as she caught up to Rapunzel. "We should have at least brought Kai or Gerda with us."_

" _Elsie, you worry too much. We start first grade tomorrow! It's the last day to have a summer adventure," Rapunzel said, rounding the corner of the path. The trail narrowed slightly as it edged up along a steep gorge, the very reason why this path was forbidden to young or inexperienced hikers. Rapunzel was not deterred, though. She sidestepped carefully along the path, as far as possible from the cliffside._

" _Raps, we really shouldn't. What if we fall?"_

" _Stay away from the edge and you won't."_

" _What if we get lost?" Elsa continued as she slowly followed her cousin's lead. She did her best not to look over the edge of the trail down into the chasm._

" _My family has been watching over this park for forever. I won't get lost," Rapunzel responded, rolling her eyes at Elsa. The more anxious of the two small girls opened her mouth to voice yet another concern when Rapunzel held up a finger against her lips. "Shh. Did you hear that?"_

_They both froze in place and listened intently. At first, there was nothing aside from the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the distant chattering of the other children in their troupe. Then, after a long held breath, they both heard it - a small chirping coming from the other side of the ledge. Elsa and Rapunzel looked at each other, Elsa receiving a sort of pleading look from her cousin._

" _No," Elsa said sternly, but Raps gave her a pouty look in response. "No way! It's too dangerous."_

" _Well, I'm going to at least peek over," Rapunzel said with determination._

" _Wait, don't - " Elsa tried to say, but Rapunzel was already on all fours, crawling carefully to look over the edge._

" _Elsie, come here! I need your help. He's trapped," Rapunzel called over to her. Elsa looked back down the path from which they came, hoping that her sister would show up this instant despite knowing that they would likely be in trouble when Kai did find them, but there was no such luck. It was only Rapunzel and her in the area. "Elsa, hurry before he falls!"_

_With a massive sigh, Elsa got on her hands and knees then crawled over next to Rapunzel. She slowly stuck her head out over the ledge and saw a small, yellow duckling perched precariously on a tree root that was jutting out from the cliff wall. Elsa noticed the baby duck was shaking; rightfully scared of the predicament it had found itself in._

" _Okay, now what?" she asked Rapunzel._

" _My arms are too short. Can you reach him?"_

_Elsa extended her hand down as far as she could, but the duckling was still several inches away from the tips of her fingers. She shook her head. "No, he's too far."_

" _Can you use your powers? Make him a little ice staircase or something."_

" _You know I can't control it that well yet," Elsa said, eyebrows knitted together in concern as she reached out once more to the duckling._

_Rapunzel tapped her chin as she considered the options. "Okay, I'm going to hold onto your legs so you can reach a little farther."_

" _What!? No way, I'll hold onto your legs."_

" _I'm stronger than you."_

" _I'm older than you," Elsa retorted._

" _By five months! I'm still bigger than you anyway," Rapunzel said back. "I'll be able to hold onto you better."_

" _That doesn't make any sense. We should just go back and get Kai."_

" _That could be too late!"_

_As if on cue, the little duckling started chirping again, and they looked down to see it hopping along the tree root, getting a little further out of reach in the process and closer to falling down into the gorge. Elsa's heart leapt in her chest as she watched the duckling unknowingly place its life further into danger._

" _Fine," Elsa said with a resigning sigh. Rapunzel scooted behind Elsa and wrapped her arms tightly around Elsa's shins and ankles while Elsa army-crawled a little closer to the edge. She reached down toward the fledgling, but his new position kept him still out of reach so she called up to Rapunzel. "I still can't get him. Just a little further." Elsa felt Rapunzel shift a little and it gave her just enough reach to scoop the small duck into her outstretched hand. Elsa let out a sigh of relief. "Gotcha, little guy," she said to him as he snuggled into her left palm. "Okay, bring me up."_

" _On it!" Rapunzel's voice called out from behind her. She felt Rapunzel give her a tug, but just as she felt herself get pulled backward, the ground around her began to crumble. "Elsa, hang on!"_

_Elsa placed her other hand over the duck to keep him safe inside her cupped palms. "Raps, pull me up!"_

" _I'm trying!" Rapunzel cried. Suddenly, Elsa felt her purchase give way as the brittle ledge she had been hanging over began to fall away around her. She felt her legs slip from her cousin's grip and she closed her eyes as she began to fall. The wind rushed in her ears as it blew around her…_

_But the feeling of falling - that drop in the stomach, the rush of your heart in your chest - never came. She opened her eyes to see herself floating just above Rapunzel in the center of the path, leaves swirling in the gale that kept her aloft. The leaves fell to the ground as Elsa was gently set back upright on her feet. Elsa quickly opened up her hands, relieved to find the duckling safe and happily chirping away._

" _Elsa, thank the spirits!" Elsa and Rapunzel turned toward the voice and saw one of their troupe leaders running toward them down the path. Gerda had her dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail pulled through the back of her yellow Wilderness Explorers' hat. She knelt down in front of Elsa once she reached them and inspected her for injury. "Kai would have killed me if anything had happened to you. What were you two thinking coming down this path? It's too dangerous for children." Gerda took them each by a hand and started leading them back the way they'd all come._

" _Raps saw this duckling wandering on its own," Elsa explained. Gerda looked down at Elsa's outstretched hand at the small duck that had caused so much trouble._

" _I totally understand wanting to help small animals, girls, but you should have grabbed Kai or me to come with you."_

" _You were both busy," Rapunzel argued. "And nothing bad happened."_

" _Nothing bad happened because I found you, you little mischief makers," Gerda said, clearly a little frustrated, but Elsa could tell she was mostly relieved that everything turned out okay. She'd known Gerda her whole life - wherever Kai was, Gerda wasn't far behind. It was easy for Elsa to see that Gerda was upset. She tugged on Gerda's hand, causing the teen to stop and look at her._

" _I'm sorry we worried you," Elsa said contritefully._

" _I know you are, little snowflake," Gerda said. She smiled at Elsa and swirled her hands a little, conjuring up the wind around Elsa once more, but this time, it was only a light breeze. The leaves picked up around her again and Gerda directed the wind to blow the end of Elsa's braid under her nose like a mustache, causing the two small girls to giggle. Gerda let the breeze die off and took Elsa's hand again. "Let's get back to Kai. We all know she's probably freaking out that she's lost you two."_

_And she certainly was. When they came back into the small clearing near the Rangers' station and Rapunzel's house, Kai took one look at Elsa's slight dishevelment and ran over to inspect her herself. The rest of the scouts' parents were slowly showing up to pick up their kids from the day at the park, and Kaira politely said goodbye to each family in between fretting over her youngest sister and little cousin._

" _She's fine, Kai," Gerda assured her as Kaira patted her down once more to make sure she was uninjured. "They got into a bit of a rough patch trying to retrieve that little duck, but I caught her just in time before anything could happen."_

_Kaira looked up at Gerda. "Thank you, Gerda."_

" _What are best friends for, huh?" Gerda said with a grin._

" _I thought best friends were for fun and mutual mayhem," the voice of a teenaged boy interrupted their conversation. The girls looked over to see Erik Westergaard walking up the path toward them. Gerda met him halfway and went to give him a kiss, but Erik quickly turned his head so it landed on his cheek. He looked to Kaira, but she had busied herself with fixing Elsa's bandana that had become askew in her near fall._

_Kaira observed the other two teens from her periphery, her eyes flickered first to his face then to Gerda as the brunette reached up to hold onto Erik's arm. Erik recoiled slightly and tried to make eye contact with Kaira, but she was still focused on Elsa, wiping away the dirt from Elsa's pants a little rougher than she intended. "Oh! Sorry, snowbug," she said when Elsa harrumphed at her heavy-handedness. Eventually, Kai looked up once they'd closed the distance between them and the sisters. "I didn't know you'd be coming today, Erik," Kaira said, finally meeting his gaze._

" _There's no place I'd rather be," Erik said with a wink. Kaira looked away quickly, wiping a bit of dirt from Elsa's nose, and the small girl caught the redness on her older sister's cheeks. Erik freed himself from Gerda's grip to give Kaira a hug, who seemed to stiffen in Erik's embrace. Kaira's reactions were confusing to Elsa. She'd never seen her sister act this way around Erik before, and he was always around since Gerda was always around. She was going to ask her about it when Erik spoke again. "Well that, and Gerda's dad got stuck at work, so her mother asked me to come pick her up. But say, speaking of mutual mayhem, I heard that a bunch of people are going to meet out in Brisk Bay. Mira is organizing. Come with us, Kai."_

" _I really shouldn't," Kaira said, picking Elsa up and balancing her on her hip. Elsa held the small duckling closer to her chest to keep from jostling it too much. "I've got to take Elsa and Rapunzel home," she said looking down at Elsa. "Well, after we take this duck wherever the girls want to take it."_

" _The pond!" Rapunzel chimed in._

" _The pond it is," Kaira said affectionately to Rapunzel. She looked back at her friends once more. "You both have fun."_

" _Come on, Kai! Live a little," Gerda said. "We're going to be Juniors tomorrow, and in two years, Erik and I will be getting married because of the betrothal agreement, so now is_ our _time. Let's kick off being upperclassmen the best way. Please?"_

" _I don't think it's best to -"_

" _Kai," Erik said in an earnest voice. He stepped forward and took the hand that wasn't supporting Elsa's weight. "You have got to loosen up a bit. There's plenty of time to be the Mayor's perfect daughter later."_

" _You know your brothers are going to be there. I shouldn't go. The fighting -"_

" _Mira is doing it on boats for a reason - out in no man's land, international waters so to speak," Erik explained. "Out of sight of all the animosity. That's our parents' war anyway. We can't let it keep us all from being friends. As for my brothers, we'll stick to my boat. Just the three of us. Unless you have someone you want to invite? Someone special? Or maybe just Liv?"_

" _No, there's no one," Kaira said quietly, staring at her hand in his. She chanced looking into Erik's eyes before she remembered who she was with and quickly pulled back her hand and stepped away. "And I am not bringing Liv. She's only just turned thirteen."_

" _So you'll come?" Gerda said in an excited voice. Kaira sighed and looked down at Elsa who only smiled back at her._

" _I won't tell Mama and Papa," Elsa whispered. Kaira shook her head and huffed once more._

" _Fine," she said to Erik. He smiled at her brightly and Kaira blushed again. She looked away quickly as Gerda took Erik's hand back._

" _Perfect! Now let's help the babies bring this duckling home and then we can get going," Gerda said. She gave a kiss to Erik's cheek. "You're better at convincing my BFF to do things than I am. You should come pick me up more often."_

" _I'm already here just as much as you," Erik said distantly, looking at Kaira's back as she walked down the path toward the pond with Elsa still in her arms._

" _That's true," Gerda said and she bent down in front of Rapunzel to give her a piggyback ride. "Hop on, Doc! Show us where the baby duck's mama is."_

* * *

"Alright, troupe! Line up!" Elsa called. The gaggle of Junior Wilderness Explorers swarmed around, arranging themselves in the assigned order. Elsa walked down the line and stopped at the gap between Addie Martins and Theo Owens. She looked over at her cousin who was helping little Masey re-tie the laces of her boot. "Raps, have you seen Niels?"

Rapunzel looked up, noticing the empty space as well, and shook her head. "He was just here a second ago."

Elsa sighed. Niels was definitely the most mischievous of the young scouts, an artist of finding that one moment each week when both Elsa and Rapunzel were distracted just enough to slip off undetected. "Lead the rest of them back, would you? I'll find him."

She listened carefully for any sounds that would indicate which way the wayward child had wandered off. A distant snapping of a twig drew her attention to the west. Glancing behind her to make sure the rest of the kids were out of sight, she quickly darted down the western path, opposite from the direction from the Ranger Station. She rounded a bend just as she caught sight of the young boy in his scout uniform attempting to use a fallen tree log to cross over a stream to the right of the path. Elsa caught him by the scruff just as he teetered precariously to one side of the trunk.

"Caught you," she said triumphantly as he slipped from the log, his shoes grazing the top of the water as she pulled him back to the shore. "I swear, Niels Norberg, one of these days, I will tell your mother that you consistently wander off into the woods by yourself."

"But, I want to see more!"

"And you can see more," she explained. "In a controlled, safe, and monitored environment."

"That's not the same thing!" he exclaimed, wiggling furiously as she tossed him over her shoulder easily and carried him down the path like a sack of potatoes. "The wilderness must be explored!"

She chuckled despite her slight irritation. He was their most troublesome Junior scout, but he definitely had passion. Elsa meandered leisurely down the path, heading back behind Rapunzel and the rest of the troupe. She couldn't move at the pace she wanted, not with a child literally in tow. Then she felt something that froze her in place - a disturbance in the world around her. Anna was in trouble, she could feel it in every atom of her being. It tugged at her through their bond, and her mind raced with the possibilities. Fear encased her heart and she could feel the frost forming at her fingertips.

"Is it getting cold outside?" Niels asked.

Elsa felt him shivering on top of her shoulder and it brought her back into focus. She shook her head and took a breath, making the ice dissipate as she quickened her pace back to the front of the wildlife reservation. She'd made good time, arriving there just as Rapunzel and the rest of the kids were coming up to the station building where most of the parents were already waiting. Rapunzel caught sight of Elsa's expression immediately upon seeing her and concern quickly crossed her face.

"Anna -"

"Just go," Rapunzel said, taking Niels from her shoulder and setting him down gently. "I'll wait for the rest to get picked up and I'll head straight to your house."

Elsa didn't need telling twice. She jogged over to the path that led toward the Corona and Aren Manors. When she was sure she was out of view from everyone at the Ranger Station, she took off as fast as her legs could carry her toward home. She stuck to the path instead of trying to take a shorter route through the dense woods - darting between trees over unfamiliar ground would only slow her pace. Elsa let her bond with Anna guide her as she shot through the tree line at the back of the property and dashed around the side of the house to reach the front yard. The scene in front of her made her heart stop.

Kaira and Liv were standing side by side a few steps away from the front porch, facing aggressively toward the last two people Elsa ever wanted to see on their property - Lars and Hans Westergaard. Her eyes quickly found Anna who was already looking in her direction. The ginger girl was standing on the porch behind Kai and Liv, protected by her two older sisters. Elsa quickly ran to her, pulling her close and then standing as another barrier between Anna and the Westergaard brothers.

"You shouldn't have come," Anna whispered to her.

"I will always come for you," Elsa said back, glancing over her shoulder as she said it, but quickly turned back to the situation at hand, keeping her eyes trained on the intruders. Lars was looking right at her, his eyes seemed to be calculating the odds now that she'd arrived at the scene.

"I will offer you a peaceful retreat one more time, Lars," Kaira called across the expanse of the yard. "Leave now. Do not bother us or Anna again, and we will not seek any retribution for this indisputable violation of the treaty."

"You have no claim to her," Lars said calmly. "She belongs with us in the Southern Isles."

"I'd like to see you try to take her," Liv snarled, attempting to provoke the large man to make the first move, but Kaira stretched her arm out in front of her younger sister to keep her in place.

"Let me handle this, smalls, please," Kaira whispered. Liv gave her a hard look, but eventually nodded, and Kaira turned her attention back to the visitors. "Anna is my ward, as agreed upon by the four heads of the River Born families, your father included, in our last meeting," Kaira explained, the patience her voice usually held was tried, and Elsa wondered just how many times her sister had already explained this fact to Lars before she'd gotten there.

"An agreement he'd made before he knew all the facts," Lars argued back. He pointed in Anna's direction. "That girl is a Westergaard, and she is coming with us."

"As long as Anna chooses to remain in Arendelle with her mother and under _my_ protection, you will not come anywhere near her," Kaira proclaimed. The finality in her tone left little room for argument. "I understand better than most that the Westergaards covet the purity of their bloodlines, but the Arens believe that family is more than that. Anna is our family, and she will remain in our care as long as I am here to see to it. Her safety under my watch is guaranteed by the treaty. So I suggest you go now before I choose to rightfully seek reparations for your malfeasance."

"She's right, brother," a new voice sounded across the yard. Everyone turned to find Rorik and Erik standing just behind their two brothers. Erik took a step forward. "I should know. I drafted the treaty for father," Erik continued. He met Kaira's questioning gaze momentarily before he and Rorik closed the distance between them and the other two Westergaards.

"You've both known," Hans said, disbelief and comprehension coloring his voice. He scowled at his brothers angrily. "Traitors, the both of you."

"I made a promise to Anders that I would protect his family with my life if I must," Rorik said matter of factly, stepping through between Lars and Hans to stand with Erik, forming a barrier between them and the women. "Even if it means standing against our own flesh and blood."

"I expected better from you, Rorik," Lars spat venomously at his brother. "Erik's betrayal I could see coming; he's been pining after that Aren for nearly a decade, but you… You I trusted to uphold this family above all else."

"And I will," Rorik responded calmly. He glanced over his shoulder at Anna standing behind all her blonde protectors before looking back at his older brother determinedly. "I just choose which of my family is worthy of my loyalty."

Both Lars and Hans glared daggers at their brothers, and the youngest of them all opened his mouth, no doubt to spew more vitriol, but Erik headed him off before he could start. "Father knows what you two are up to," Erik said sternly. "He wanted me to tell you to not act foolishly. You are expected to return home at once and _without_ incident."

"Snitching to father, Erik?" Hans sneered. "As if you could sink no lower than fraternizing with the enemy."

Erik glanced at Hans disdainfully. "The adults are talking, Hans. Why don't you run along? You are neither needed nor wanted here."

"You dare to -"

"Hans," Lars cut him off, placing a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder. "What is the one lesson I've always taught you?"

Hans looked up at Lars, clearly frustrated, but seemingly pacified. "Do not fight a battle you aren't sure you can win."

Lars nodded and looked around the yard. "We are clearly outnumbered. Our best course of action is to go home and speak with father," Lars said, looking at each opponent in turn before settling his eyes on Anna. Like every other time he'd looked at her before, Anna felt like he was tearing down her walls with his eyes. "We will make him see reason."

With that, Lars and Hans both turned, got into their rental car, and drove off in the direction of the docks. When they were finally out of sight, Elsa let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. She turned to Anna, who looked visibly shaken, and pulled her close, placing her forehead against the redhead's as she felt herself relax ever so slightly now that the immediate threat was gone.

"What happened?"

"They showed up at the Institute while I was there helping my mom," Anna explained, pulling back slightly to look up at Elsa. "Hans was getting a tour of the rest of the facility, but I think his main goal was to find me today. If I wasn't there…"

"He would have searched the island for you," Rorik said, coming over with Erik and the two older Aren sisters. "Which could have been worse - he might have found you on your own," he sighed and furrowed his eyebrows. He looked earnestly at his niece. "I'm sorry, Anna. I would have been here sooner, but I didn't even realize that Lars had returned home early until Liv called Erik. It seems that Hans pestered him enough that he came back to see what all the fuss was about. It would appear that he was not disappointed."

"So what happens now?" Elsa asked, looking to Kaira who, in turn, looked to the two Westergaard brothers that remained.

"The other reason Rorik had called me home from Norway when he needed an ally, aside from my history with the Aren family, is because I was the one to convince our father that a new treaty was the best path forward after Elsa's raw display of power before your parent's funeral. The treaty was initially my work, and I convinced our father that Kai's claim as Anna's guardian under said treaty is valid," Erik explained as he met Kaira's probing gaze. "He knows there are only three paths forward - maintain the status quo, break the treaty to take Anna," he paused to set his gaze on his young niece, "or convince Anna to renounce the protection of the Aren family."

"I would never do that," Anna said without hesitation, and she felt Elsa squeeze her hand in response. Erik nodded his understanding.

"As such, without knowing what Anna truly has to offer, he sees no reason to force the situation," Erik reassured everyone. "I don't think he'll be swayed by Lars in the slightest without any evidence that Anna is worth sacrificing what little peace exists between the families."

Relief flooded through Elsa at those words. Anna was safe as long as the rest of the Fire Spirit family didn't discover what her true abilities were, and Elsa was willing to lay down her life to keep that from happening. "So for now, everything is okay?" she asked. Elsa didn't want to hope too much, and she certainly wasn't going to let her guard down, but this was enough to keep her sanity for the time being.

"For now, everything is as it was," Rorik confirmed. He looked at Anna and held out a hand. She let go of Elsa and turned to her uncle, placing a hand in his and giving him her attention. "But it is imperative, Anna dear, now more than ever, that you keep your empathic abilities hidden from the rest of our family. It would probably also be prudent to keep them hidden from any Weselton as well. The Westergaards and Weseltons have almost always sided together throughout our histories."

Anna took a deep breath and nodded. She didn't need telling twice to understand the seriousness of the situation. One glance at her girlfriend was enough to fortify her resolve - to keep Elsa safe, Anna had to keep her powers hidden. So that's what she fully intended on doing.

"We should go," Erik said, glancing at his watch before setting his gaze on Kaira once again. "Though I believe our father will remain reasonable, I don't want to give Lars any more opportunity than necessary to try to influence a change of heart."

"I think that's wise," Kaira said. She turned fully to look at Erik. "Thank you, both of you, for coming at such short notice."

"There's no place I'd rather be," Erik said sincerely, earning a slight blush across Kaira's cheeks, but he was kind enough not to point it out. He simply nodded to her once and turned, dashing after Rorik toward the docks.

"Ugh! I hate Lars and his pretentious face. What I would give to just…" Liv ground her right fist into her left palm in explanation for where her words failed her. Kai sighed and looked at her younger sister sympathetically.

"I know how hard that was for you. I'm proud that you kept that temper under control," Kaira said, tucking a blonde curl behind Liv's ear. "You deserve a reward. Want me to make ravioli for dinner?"

Liv's eyes brightened. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Come then. Help me make the dough," Kaira said, opening the door and leading the way inside with Liv following closely behind. Once the two elder sisters were inside and the front door was closed behind them, Elsa pulled Anna in close.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Els. A little rattled, maybe, but I'm okay," Anna said as she snuggled into Elsa's chest while the blonde wrapped her arms tightly around her. "More than okay, I think? To be honest, I feel kind of relieved."

Elsa pulled back and raised her eyebrows at her incredulously, her mouth hanging open slightly at the absurdity of the statement. She herself was feeling totally on edge. The idea of Anna feeling relieved after that intense standoff was unfathomable. "I'm sorry. I'm confused."

Anna shrugged slightly and sighed before meeting Elsa's gaze. "I've been so tense lately. It was like I was just _waiting_ for something to happen, like I knew it was inevitable for them to find out. That anticipation… the not knowing when or how… It was driving me crazy. Now that's finally done… It's like I can breathe again."

"We still don't know what's going to happen," Elsa replied despondently.

"Yes, but for now I feel like this was the best outcome," Anna said reassuringly, giving Elsa a tender kiss. "I believe in Uncle Erik. He'll keep their father from allowing Lars or Hans to do anything rash, I'm sure."

Elsa reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Anna's ear before nodding. "Maybe you're right," she said in a sigh. "I hope you're right… But, Anna, I want you to promise me one thing, please?"

"Of course, love."

"No matter what happens, no matter the circumstance," Elsa started, pausing to look Anna meaningfully in the eyes. Keeping Anna safe was the only thing that mattered to her. "Promise me you will not let it be known to them that you're an Empath."

"Elsa… I don't know if I can promise that," Anna said with a deep frown. "If there's a chance that the people I care about are in trouble… If I thought that the only way to save the ones I love… If you were in danger and the only way is to -"

"Please, love," Elsa said quietly. She cupped Anna's cheek before leaning forward, resting her forehead on Anna's and making her understand the desperation behind her request by allowing her feelings to rise up to the surface. Elsa felt Anna stiffen slightly within her embrace in response to Elsa's willingness to share her darker feelings. "All I want is for you to be safe, and that means keeping this a secret from the rest of the Westergaards. For me... don't show them what you can do."

There was a long pause as Anna stared at her. Elsa waited patiently as Anna seemed to consider the implications of her request. Her teal eyes searched her, and Elsa remained open; it was pointless to try to hide anything from Anna. Elsa had spent most of her formative years practicing control - controlling her powers, controlling her emotions, controlling her own narrative. It went hand in hand that she had also learned to hide behind walls layered thick with her fear of growing close to anyone and her need to feel held together. Anna, however, always left her feeling disarmed; like these walls she'd built around herself, the ones she'd thought were strong as steel, could crumble like sandcastles in the wind. The ginger always saw right through her pretenses, read in between the lines of all the things Elsa left unspoken, and in the wake of it all, saved Elsa from her biggest of demons - herself.

"I promise that, as long as I can help it, I will not reveal my empathic powers to the rest of the Westergaards," Anna said slowly, after her long moment of contemplation. It was enough for Elsa to finally relax. She felt Anna wash an extra layer of calm over her, and Elsa smiled, allowing Anna to help ease her fraying nerves.

"Thank you," Elsa said quietly. _For the promise, for the comfort, for being you…_ thoughts that Elsa didn't need to say out loud, but she knew Anna heard them regardless.

"I love you more than there are stars in the sky," Anna said, giving Elsa another kiss, this time deeper and more meaningful.

"Without you those stars don't shine as bright," Elsa responded when the kiss finally ended.

* * *

**30 April 2020**

"You're lucky we have naturally fast metabolisms with the rate at which you consume Oaken's cocoa," Elsa said with a smirk, glancing sideways at Anna as she pulled into the garage. Anna had three servings during their regular post-chemistry lab date, and Oaken had handed her a fourth in a to-go cup on their way out the door.

"Are you saying you wouldn't love me anymore if I got chubby?" Anna said, feigning offense.

"What can I say? I like a petite girl," Elsa quipped back. _And there's that adorable look I was aiming for,_ Elsa thought to herself when Anna's playful expression changed to one of slight irritation. _She's so cute when she's mad._ Elsa chuckled under her breath as she turned off the car. She leaned over the center console to give Anna a kiss, but her girlfriend turned her nose up at her. "Oh, come on, love. You know I was only kidding. Nothing could ever stop my love for you, but honestly, all that sugar can't be good."

"I have training right now," Anna said, her voice still slightly peeved. She downed the rest of her cocoa in one big swig. "I need the carbs."

Elsa chuckled again. "I don't think this is what it means to carbo-load."

"Well, it should. Chocolate is the queen of all the carbs."

"I have no argument for that. That is a fact."

"Finally, you're making some sense," Anna said. She finally looked at Elsa, still wearing a frown. "But I'm still upset at you," she said quickly and exited the car.

Elsa wasted no time slipping out of the driver's side and rushing to Anna just as the ginger closed the passenger side door. Elsa placed both her hands against the car on either side of Anna's head, effectively trapping the smaller girl between herself and the crossover. Anna appeared startled for only a moment before she put her frown back in place, squinting at Elsa in irritation. Elsa pulled that little half-smile that had quite a track record for charming Anna.

"I do humbly and sincerely apologize for my tactless comment, love," Elsa said, her voice low, its natural rasp underlying her alto tenor coupled with the close proximity caused a blush to bloom across Anna's cheeks. Elsa smiled a little wider when she noticed the effect she had. "Do tell me - how might I make it up to you."

Elsa saw Anna's eyes quickly glance in the direction of the home gym before locking back at her, teal eyes slightly shaded by long, dark-auburn lashes. "Oh, I can think of a few things," Anna said, leaning back against the car and tilting her head up. She grabbed Elsa's cardigan with both hands and pulled her in quickly, their lips crashing together with force. Elsa couldn't help the quick 'hm' of surprise that escaped her before she gave into Anna's ardent kisses. Elsa soon moved her hands from the car and buried them in Anna's hair instead. The lack of support from her arms caused her to lean forward due to Anna's hold on her sweater, and Elsa found herself flush with Anna, her girlfriend sandwiched between her and the car.

She felt Anna's hands roam to her hips before there was a light tug as Anna pulled on one of the belt loops of Elsa's jeans, making her spin around until their positions were reversed. Anna pressed Elsa up against the car roughly, and then bit lightly at Elsa's bottom lip, causing the blonde to involuntarily shudder at the action. Elsa was usually the one to take charge in these situations, but she found Anna's authoritative passion to be a welcome change of pace. She allowed Anna's tongue entrance when she felt it graze at her lips, and the space between them became nonexistent as Anna leaned against Elsa with more force. Suddenly, Anna's lips were gone and Elsa was going to protest until she felt them on her jaw… her neck… and then a nibble on her earlobe.

"Ah…" was all she could manage as all coherent thought left her. She heard Anna laugh lightly. Her girlfriend always found it amusing when Elsa let herself go a little, relinquish some control, and be slightly uncomposed. Elsa felt Anna's hands exploring and her breath caught in her chest when warm hands touched her skin as Anna slipped her fingers underneath the hem of Elsa's shirt; brushing low on her stomach… gripping the angle of her hips…resting on the small of her back and then pulling her closer. Anna's hands burned pleasantly where they touched, leaving a path of lingering heat in their wake. The sensation made Elsa wild to the point where she had to take back the control before she came undone.

With some effort, Elsa pushed Anna away slightly, earning a huff and a pouty glare from the ginger that she returned with an alluring smirk. Not a second later, she took Anna's chin and directed her lips to meet back with hers. Elsa kissed her deeply, relishing in delight as she felt Anna give way to her unspoken demands. Elsa hooked one finger in the waist of Anna's jeans, pulling her closer once again before trailing her lips along Anna's jaw and down her neck until she reached the hollow space where it met her clavicle. Elsa smirked once more to herself when she heard Anna's breathy 'oh.' Elsa had quickly learned that this particular spot made Anna weak, and she never hesitated to exploit that fact.

"Els - ah…" Anna faltered a little on her words when Elsa's tongue brushed against her collar bone. She took a deep breath and tried again. "Elsa?"

"Hm?" Elsa breathed out as she kissed along Anna's collar until she reached the other side of Anna's neck to give all parts of her girlfriend equal attention.

"We should… hm… probably go," Anna said, but her slight whimpering spurred Elsa onward.

"Not yet," Elsa muttered against Anna's skin.

"They're waiting…"

"Let them wait," she said, reclaiming Anna's lips to stop the chatter. Elsa boldly returned Anna's earlier actions, fingers deftly slipping underneath the fabric of Anna's long sleeved t-shirt and sliding along the skin just above the hem of her jeans. She felt Anna tremble slightly at her touch, and continued to explore this new territory - the slight indentation of toned abdominals… the curve of obliques meeting hips…

"Ahem."

Elsa and Anna jumped apart quickly, Anna ending up nearly fifteen feet away near the entrance to the home gym in her haste - control over her increased speed and strength still lapsing in moments of impulse. Both teens looked toward the voice and found Kaira standing in the doorway that led toward the library. Elsa's eldest sister remained mostly composed; though, there were traces of a barely concealed amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"We should really get started. Erik says he has to cut his visit a little short today," Kaira said, glancing between the two girls who were matching in their furious blushing. She took in their slightly disheveled states and that amused smirk could hide no longer. "Perhaps take a moment to gather yourselves. We'll be out back."

* * *

"Very good work today, Anna," Erik said as he watched Anna successfully snuff out the campfire with her powers. "Your focus and control today were exceptional."

"Kai's advice helped a lot," Anna responded. At the start of the day's training, Anna was having the same hang up she always did. She'd lose her focus on the task at hand as her mind filtered through several emotions reflexively. Kaira, being a honed Telepath, easily recognized Anna's hurdle and stepped in.

" _Pick a point - something to anchor your thoughts on - and focus on it. It can be anything… a memory, an image, or even something physically close,_ " Kaira had explained patiently. " _When you feel yourself start to slide down the rabbit hole, grab onto that anchor and steady yourself._ "

And it had worked perfectly. Anna had glanced over at Elsa who was sitting on the bench on the other side of the fire, watching on encouragingly. She had found comfort in Elsa's gaze and chose her anchor - the deep ocean color of Elsa's eyes. Each time her focus faltered, she allowed the bright blue to drone out all the excess stimulus her empathic abilities brought in, granting her the clarity to achieve her goal.

"That's very good," Erik said, taking back Anna's attention. "Your empathic powers directly affect your dominion over your fire abilities. Remember that your powers grew without your knowledge for nearly sixteen years. Though you've made so much progress in such a short time, there's always room to grow. Continue to work on all aspects of your new self. Especially while I'm away."

All three women looked at Erik questioningly, but Anna was the first to give it a voice. "You're going somewhere?"

Erik sighed and nodded. "Lars is sending me on a trip to schmooze one of the company's partners."

"Lars? Why is he dictating where you go?"

"Our father has been feeling a little under the weather lately, so Lars has taken on more responsibility," Erik explained. "It's time to renegotiate the contract with one of our biggest trading partners, and my brother believes that my… history with this particular client will prove beneficial. I leave on Sunday and will be away for about two weeks."

"Where is he sending you?"

"Back to Norway," Erik said hesitantly. His eyes flickered briefly to Kaira before he clarified. "I'm to take the client's CEO, his wife, and his CFO to our family's estate near Oslo. A glorified, all expense paid vacation, honestly, with the goal of achieving a deal that's more beneficial to our company than theirs. Not an easy task, however. Nigel is a weasley sort of man."

"Nigel Weselton?" Kaira said suddenly. Her posture changed so minutely, but the stiffness that wasn't there a moment before was undeniable. "You're schmoozing Nigel and his CFO; meaning Nigel and his daughter, Gerda."

Erik winced visibly before he met Kaira's gaze. He nodded slowly. "Yes. That is the history I'm supposed to exploit."

"I see," Kaira said evenly.

"It's only business, Kai," Erik implored.

"She won't see it that way," she said, surprising everyone in the yard, including herself. She never intended to say that out loud, but it was too late now. Kaira turned away and took a steadying breath, but continued despite the reservations Anna could feel puddling out of her. "Especially with her mother there to encourage her." Erik studied her profile for a long moment. Anna looked at Elsa with raised eyebrows, but her girlfriend only shrugged. Eventually, Kaira began to walk slowly toward the house. "Regardless, I wish you safe travels."

Erik stared after her, but Anna could sense Kaira's unspoken need. She pushed gently at her uncle's shoulder, and when he turned to her, she gave him a pointed nod at Kaira's retreating back and her expression clearly said, 'go after her, you idiot.' He looked at Elsa who only rolled her eyes at him, a small smile on her face. Erik took a breath and darted the several feet that separated him from Kai and took her hand, causing her to stop

"I made my choice a long time ago," he said sincerely, "and I will wait lifetimes for you to realize that I have always been and always will be yours."

Anna felt Elsa step up next to her as Kaira completely turned to look at Erik. Elsa, knowing her sister well, anticipated what was coming next and took Anna's hand to give her a focal point just as Kai took Erik's face into her hands and kissed him. Elsa and Anna smiled widely at each other. The two teens had discussed many times how Kaira and Erik should stop this dance when it was so obvious that they still had strong feelings for each other, and now the wait was finally over.

"Come on, love," Elsa whispered, pulling Anna quietly toward the house. "Let's let them have their moment." When they slipped into the house and shut the sliding glass door silently behind them, they fell into a fit of elated giggles.

"What's so amusing?"

They both turned to find Liv coming into the kitchen from the direction of the garage. Elsa and Anna shared a look before Elsa turned her grin toward Liv.

"Oh. Kai and Erik are just getting… reacquainted outsi-"

"WHAT!?" Liv spun on the spot to look out of the glass windows that separated the interior of the house from the backyard. By now, Kaira and Erik had separated, standing several inches apart and talking lightly to each other. Liv rolled her eyes at Elsa. " _Liar!_ "

"We're not lying! They were _just_ kissing before you got here!"

"Not from what I can see. They're just -" Liv stopped when her eyes flickered to look outside once more just as Kaira leaned in and pressed a kiss to Erik's cheek. Her eyes went wide as she took in the scene before her, and she pumped a fist in the air. "Aha! I'm two for two! Put wings on me and call me 'Cupid' because I'm a matchmaker!"

"Okay, Cupid," Anna whispered between giggles and gesturing for the two sisters to be quiet. "Why don't you turn around and take us to the ice cream parlor so we can give them some privacy? Those two need to talk and Elsa owes me a sundae."

"I do?" the blonde asked with a confused look.

"Uh huh. To make up for your insensitive comment earlier."

"I thought I already made up for that," Elsa said, raising a suggestive eyebrow at Anna and putting on the half-smile that she knew Anna still melted at even after all this time.

"I've decided that I require sugary compensation in addition to the earlier apologies," Anna said, taking Elsa by the hand and pulling her along. She grabbed Liv by the back of her jacket when she made a move toward the sliding door to the backyard. "Nope, you will not ruin their moment. I will let you give Kai a hard time when we get back."

"Let me? You're like a reincarnated Napoleon today," Liv said, allowing Anna to drag her back into the garage. She looked at Elsa pointedly before she opened up her car for the two teens to get in. "What did you do, baby sis? I hope it was worth it."

Elsa glanced up to look at Anna, who had just buckled herself into the passenger seat. Anna looked over her shoulder to give Elsa a wink and small smile that made the blood rush to Elsa's cheeks in response. Elsa met her sister's gaze in the rearview mirror and shrugged as she remembered the last time she and Anna were in the garage earlier that afternoon.

A secret sort of smirk played at Elsa's lips. "It was definitely worth it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did this feel a little anticlimactic to you? Yeah... me too. *SHRUG* But I'm going places (I hope...) Regardless - Thanks as always for reading, and thanks to my BETA (listen to Anna, my dear sister - chocolate is the queen of all the carbs) for being awesome! Until next week, my lovely readers :) Stay safe!


	28. The Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**05 May 2020**

"I'm so sorry, Elsa," Mrs. Norberg said as the teenaged troupe leader slid Niels from her shoulder and placed him on his feet in front of his mother. All the other children had already been picked up by their parents, but Elsa had to search the last trail for Niels who had peeled off from the group when Elsa and Rapunzel weren't looking. "I swear we've talked to him about listening to you and Rapunzel while he's out here."

"It's really not a problem, Mrs. Norberg. He just has a healthy appreciation for Nature, is all, and that's not something I think we need to stifle," Elsa responded with a genial smile. She playfully smacked the bill of Niel's cap, knocking it to cover his eyes. "He keeps Raps and me on our toes, and I appreciate that," she continued. Niels lifted his cap and smiled widely while her cousin rolled her eyes at her from behind the young boy's mother.

"Well, he still gets no dessert for tonight simply for wandering off when he shouldn't," Mrs. Norberg said, looking pointedly at her son. He started whining in response, but she cut him off with a stern glare. She gave the two teens another apologetic look before she dragged her son toward their sedan.

Once the last family drove off down the path, the two cousins entered the Ranger Station. Rapunzel immediately flopped onto the small couch with a groan as Elsa walked over to the short row of lockers to pull out her bag. "I'm exhausted," Rapunzel huffed. She threw an arm over her eyes and raised her feet over the sofa arm opposite from her head. "I swear, these kids get more and more rambunctious every week. Do their parents give them a ton of sugar before dropping them off or something?"

Elsa chuckled as she unbuttoned her yellow Wilderness Explorers shirt. "Perhaps if you actually rested at night you might have more energy to deal with theirs," she responded. Elsa pulled the t-shirt she'd worn to school back on over her camisole and looked over at her cousin. "Stop reading off that e-reader before bed and you'll get more sleep."

"You bought me that e-reader," Raps retorted accusingly, lifting her arm and squinting at Elsa. "You're exact words were, 'I'm too excited to wait two more weeks until your birthday, so here.'"

"Not with the intention that you'd stay up all night. Three hours is not enough sleep, even for us," Elsa said, walking over to her cousin as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She leaned over the armrest and raised an eyebrow at Raps. "I need to go pick up Anna from Oaken's. Did you need me to drop you off at your house on the way?"

"No, Eugene is going to come pick me up when he's done at lacrosse practice. I'm just going to take a nap," Raps said through a yawn.

"Suit yourself." Elsa grabbed the blanket from atop the back of the couch and draped it on her cousin who had already fallen asleep. She shook her head with a small smile before she quietly exited the station, closing the door slowly and silently behind her. Her uncle appeared from around the back of the building just as she descended the short steps from the porch. "Hey, Uncle. What do you have there?"

He lifted up the contraption and Elsa recognized the shape of the same style of animal trap she'd helped him search for many months ago; back when she was still denying her feelings for Anna, when she'd mistakenly thought that Anna had feelings for Kristoff, when she still refused to admit what was obvious to everyone else in her life. _How far I've come since then_ , she thought to herself briefly before the implication of her uncle's discovery seemed to register.

"More traps? But how?"

"I'm not sure," Frederic said, his bushy, overhanging brows furrowing deeply with concern. He tossed the contraption in the dumpster and dusted his hands off on his pants. "We found the first of these before any new residents of Arendelle began showing up for the Marine Life Institute, but we do get a lot of visitors here from out of town. It goes against what we believe to restrict access to the Park and Reservation, but we may not have a choice but to do so."

"That's deeply concerning. Would you like me to let Kai and Liv know when I see them?"

"Please, snowcub. I may also stop by as well, but I'd appreciate it if you mention it to your sisters."

She nodded her agreement. "I have to meet Anna, but I'll tell them at dinner," she said as she started to walk to her car. She heard her uncle's footsteps walking up the porch to the station and she turned to call back to him. "Oh, Raps is in there taking a nap!"

He looked back her way and shook his head. "I'm going to have to take that e-reader from her at night," he muttered to himself as he headed inside.

Elsa hopped into her car and made quick work of the short drive to the center of town. Just as she rounded the corner, she felt that comforting tug that told her Anna was near. She slowed her speed as she turned down the main town square street and found parking just outside of Oaken's. Elsa had to restrain herself from dashing quickly into the cafe in her haste to find Anna, but felt the smile easily split across her face when her eyes instantly landed on the twin ginger braids of her girlfriend. Waving briefly to Oaken behind the counter, she walked over to Anna in her squashy chair near the open window where she was sitting across from Kristoff as they worked on their project.

"I _really_ think we should bring in churros," Anna was saying as she approached.

"You want to _deep fry_ dough?"

"I'll do the frying. It won't be a problem."

"It's not _you_ I'm worried about," Kristoff said as he wiped a hand down his face. "I'm afraid _I'll_ get burned in the crossfire of your clumsiness."

"Hey, rude! I'm not as clumsy anymore," Anna said, tossing a wadded up napkin at the boy.

"You most certainly are not," Elsa said as she bent down and pecked Anna on the cheek. Anna looked up at her and smiled before tugging lightly on Elsa's collar to pull her down for a proper, but chaste, kiss on the lips. Elsa then took a seat on the arm of Anna's chair and looked over to Kristoff with a smile. She'd been trying her best to befriend the burly senior for Anna's sake since she was committed to their friendship, but her initial prejudices against him (read: his interest in her girlfriend) still stood in between them. Elsa was sure the feeling was mutual though. "Hey, Kristoff. How is Sven?"

"In desperate need of a shower and complaining about a lack of carrots in his diet, but otherwise, he's great," Kristoff answered, his tone light.

"That's good to hear."

"Elsa, tell him that churros are the only way to go for our presentation about street food in Latin American culture," Anna said airily, but it was still clearly a command.

Elsa looked at Kristoff with a grin. "Let me guess? She also wants to serve a spiced hot chocolate to go with it?" Kristoff rolled his eyes with a single nod and Elsa looked down to her girlfriend. "Any excuse, really, to have more hot cocoa?"

"Busted," Anna said, smirking playfully at her.

"A cocoa for Miss Elsa, and another cocoa for Miss Anna," Oaken announced, his timing perfect as he came over with a serving tray and handed over the two mugs to the girls. He turned and placed a small plate in front of Kristoff. "Gustav is trying out a carrot cake scone recipe, Kristoff. Let us know what you think, ya?"

The boy's eyes went wide as he took it in, quickly picking up the pastry. "Oh, hot… hot," he muttered as he tossed it from hand to hand. After a few cooling breaths on the scone, he took a big bite and slumped backward into his chair with satisfaction. "Oh, yeah. That's the stuff, Oaken. You can tell Gustav that this is a keeper."

"Okay, so come over next Wednesday after school," Anna said once Oaken ambled back behind the counter. "We just need to make a few dozen to share with the class, and my mom has a spiced cocoa recipe she picked up when we were living in Baja California one summer."

"Fine," Kristoff relented, feeling much more amiable after his treat. "But only if Elsa is there. She can freeze any fire faster than you can snuff it out or I can pull out a fire extinguisher."

Anna looked at her, a silent question on her face and a slight pout to her lip. Elsa rolled her eyes. _This adorable face is going to be the death of me,_ she thought to herself before she sighed. "So long as I get a taste test, I'll be there."

* * *

"Your mother works entirely too much," Elsa said as she pulled into the garage. Anna and she had just dropped off some dinner to Iduna at the Institute where Anna's mom was working tirelessly on some permits for the small outpost on a nearby island inhabited entirely by puffins.

"I would think so too, but she enjoys her work so much it's almost not like work to her," Anna said as she climbed out of the vehicle. "And besides," she continued as she met Elsa at the nose of the car, catching her before she could make it into the house, "It just means I get to spend more time with you." Anna leaned into Elsa and kissed her deeply, slipping her hands into one of Elsa's back pockets in order to pull her closer.

"What is it with you and this garage?" Elsa asked between kisses and she felt Anna's smile against her own lips.

"It's not the garage," Anna said as she leaned away slightly to look Elsa over suggestively.

Elsa rolled her eyes and moved in for another kiss, but stopped when her ears picked up the sound of footsteps as someone approached. Anna must have heard it too because she quickly removed her hands from Elsa's hips and took a deliberate step to the side just as the garage door leading toward the library opened very quickly and Liv's smiling face poked out of the now opened doorway.

"Stop groping each other and get in here," Liv said impishly. "I'm starving."

"We were doing no such thing," Elsa grumbled as they followed Liv to the small, round table in the kitchen where they typically had meals when there weren't guests (Anna no longer counted).

"Uh huh," Liv said cheerily, but the blush on Anna's face gave them away, causing Liv to cackle. The three of them sat down just as Kaira placed the last plate on the table at her usual spot. "It's not a big deal, sweet lil' dumplings. I'm not worried. At least there's no risk of teen pregnancy."

"Oh. My. God," Anna said, horrified, as she covered her eyes with her hand.

"Liv!" Elsa shouted in dismay at the same time.

"Olivia Rian!" Kaira's voice carried over both teens. "This is not appropriate dinner conversation."

"Why not? It's just us ladies present," Liv said as she speared a roasted beet with her fork. She looked at her older sister with raised eyebrows as if to say, 'talking to the girls about this is the responsible thing to do.' When Kaira rolled her eyes and took a deliberately long sip of her wine, Liv waved her fork, vegetable and all, at the two girls pointedly. "Just be safe. It's all we can ask of you."

"We aren't… I mean we haven't..." Anna started, eyes wide with panic, and she looked to Elsa for help.

"It's not like that. We're not… It's really not the right time for that sort of... Sweet Ahtohallan, why are we even talking about this?"

"Yeah, no - we aren't ready… We talked about that and we decided on not now, and sure, it might _seem_ like we might have some fun… Not that we _don't_ have fun… BUT NOT _THAT_ kind of fun…Just a regular sort of fun. Like, we enjoy each other's company. PG! Totally PG company… Not that I wouldn't mind, but really we haven't done… I mean, it's not that I haven't thought about -"

"Anna! Please, stop talking," Elsa said hurriedly, pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Yep. Yeah… good idea." Anna quickly shoved a few beets into her mouth to keep herself from spouting more rambled confessions.

Elsa took a very deep breath before she looked at her sisters pleadingly. "Can we change the subject? _Please_."

Liv and Kaira shared a look; both teens knew they were having a conversation between the two of them. Eventually, Liv shrugged and continued eating her meal and Kai looked back to the girls. "Of course, snowbug. There's actually something I needed to discuss with all of you."

"Is this about the animal traps in the Park? Did Uncle Fred stop by already?" Elsa, grateful for the reprieve from the previous topic of conversation, quickly asked her eldest sister as she cut into her baked chicken breast.

"He did." She picked up her wine glass back up and swirled the pale yellow liquid around slightly. "And while that is concerning, we have more pressing matters," Kaira paused as she took a sip of her riesling. The other girls at the table waited patiently for her to continue explaining. Kaira licked her lips and glanced around the table briefly. "Liv and I will be heading to Ahtohallan on Saturday. The Westergaards have called for a council meeting."

The sound of a fork clattering against a plate drew everyone's attention to Elsa. She didn't associate council meetings on Ahtohallan with good news; her experiences proved otherwise. They usually preceded or followed life altering events with world shattering repercussions. She felt a warm hand take her right one which was clutching tightly to the tablecloth†. Elsa looked over to find Anna looking at her with concern. Anna closed her eyes for a moment. Almost immediately, Elsa felt a wave of calm wash through their bond, and she welcomed the light serenity Anna was gifting her.

When Anna was satisfied that Elsa was okay, she turned to Kaira. "What does this mean?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I have my guesses. Especially since they asked for the head of house and an heir," Kaira answered gently. Anna frowned slightly, still unsure what it all implied. "I believe they intend to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. I'd venture to guess that they're looking to reassess the restrictions surrounding a ward placed under one family's protection. In essence, their intent is likely to have more access to you, little one."

"I don't understand," Anna said. She shook her head slowly from side to side, a deep divot forming between her dark auburn eyebrows as she frowned intently. "As far as they know, I'm a simple fire manipulator. There's so many of them between all the brothers and nephews. Why are they so focused on me when we haven't given them any reason to be?"

"But we have. Not on purpose, of course, but we gave them plenty of reason to be curious," Liv said, her playful tone from earlier replaced with a serious one that Anna rarely heard from the most extroverted of the three sisters. The two teens shared a look, and it was clear that neither of them was following Liv's logic. "Imagine, for a moment, how it might look - a Westergaard born without their knowledge just happens to come to Arendelle and quickly gets placed under the care of their sworn enemy. Then, once the truth is discovered, everyone comes out of the woodwork in protection of her. I'd be more concerned if they weren't suspicious."

"Not to mention the fact that Anna is the first female born from their main line in…" Kaira paused as she considered the history, "four generations? Possibly more," Kaira said casually before taking a bite of food. She chewed slowly, her mind obviously whirling with thoughts. After another sip of wine, she looked at Anna and spoke with a weightier inflection. "It's one of the reasons Ragnar, your grandfather, resented our father. Three daughters without even trying while he sired thirteen sons in hopes of there finally being another Westergaard daughter."

"Why does that matter?" Elsa asked.

"If their family histories are anything like ours, I would guess they believe that the women born in their line have the potential to be the most powerful. The Snow Queens, for instance, are called such because they have always been a woman. There's no reference to any 'Snow King' in our ancestors' journals," Kaira said, shrugging her shoulders slightly before she further explained, her expression turning slightly resentful and pinched. "Or it could have something to do with their commitment to the purity of their family line. They've always been the most staunchly dedicated to maintaining their bloodlines, going as far as to commit their children to marriage agreements at an early age to ensure only River Born unions."

"But… that's so… archaic!" Anna said, her jaw slack from surprise and disgust.

"It's the way it's always been," Liv said as she finished her last bite of food. "It wasn't only your maternal grandparents' disapproval that your mother and father were running from. Like most of the Westergaard brothers, Anders was likely set to wed some distant cousin or a Weselton girl."

Anna was speechless, mouth still hanging wide open. She stared questioningly at Elsa and Kaira, as if asking for confirmation for the facts that Liv just laid out, but their silence was answer enough. She shook her head slowly. "That's… a lot to take in."

"Indeed, but I have more pressing concerns," Kaira said, taking another strategic sip of her wine. She fixed Anna with an intent look before continuing. "How would you like me to handle the negotiations, Anna?"

"Me?" Anna asked, taken aback.

"If my suspicions turn out to be correct, how would you like me to proceed?"

Anna looked around the table at each sister in turn, starting with her girlfriend. Elsa wouldn't meet her eyes, instead looking intently at her plate as she pushed her food around aimlessly. Anna tried to read her emotions, but all she could sense was an unyielding passivity radiating from her. Anna knew that Elsa must be carefully focusing on something mundane in order to hide what she was truly feeling from Anna. The ginger frowned then turned to Liv who was looking at her intently, almost expectantly, and when Anna turned back to Kaira, the eldest sister still hadn't taken her eyes off of her.

"I don't understand," Anna finally said. "We should keep the status quo, shouldn't we?"

"If that is what you want, little one," Kaira said. Anna's already furrowed brow deepened and she began to say something, but Kaira held up a hand to explain. "While I am more than happy to keep you as a ward, there are many things for you to consider. The foremost being that they, the Westergaards, are technically your kin by blood. If they ask for me to withdraw my stewardship over you, what shall I say? If you choose to remain a ward to the Aren family and should they request you be more accessible to them, what lines would you like me to draw?"

"Oh," Anna said quietly as understanding finally fell into place. She blinked several times and her frown loosened slightly. Anna looked back over at Elsa whose eyes were still fixated on her place setting in front of her, and now understood why she was acting so evasive. "I made my decision a long time ago," Anna said definitively. Elsa's eyes looked up at her tentatively and Anna smiled. "Family isn't only about blood. You're all my family," Anna concluded and looked at each sister. "Uncle Rorik is always evasive when I ask, but I know the other brothers are the reason I don't have my father in my life. They are the reason you all lost your parents. That's not a family I want to be a part of. So if it's their intent to bring me into theirs, I decline. I wish to remain with you," Anna said with finality, squeezing Elsa's hand and looking at her, eyes full of sincere intent.

"I told you there was no need to worry," Liv said to the eldest sister happily, absolutely beaming at Anna.

"We still needed to give her the option," Kaira said, but she did smile fondly at Anna as well. "I am, admittedly, very pleased with your decision regardless, little one. We've all become very fond of you. I couldn't imagine life around here without you."

"Easiest choice I've ever made, really," Anna said, as she popped another beet into her mouth and changed the topic of conversation to something lighter.

Elsa stared at Anna as she talked animatedly with Liv. She paid no attention to the words being spoken. Instead, she mentally documented everything about Anna, her most wonderful Anna - the gentle slope of her nose, the constellations of freckles over rounded cheeks, the twin dimples ever present on her smiling face, the captivating color of her hair; like all the shades of sun rays to ever shine. _No, not even the sun can compare_ , she thought. Elsa hardly remembered what the sun was like before Anna came into her life. To be honest, she couldn't even remember what her life was like before she'd finally given into her feelings for the ginger girl. It was as if she had been living in constant darkness and practiced passivity. Then along came Anna, and, without trying, she lit Elsa's world on fire. Despite Elsa's most doubtful inner thoughts and self-destructive worries, Anna kept proving her commitment to her, and Elsa was never more thankful for anything else before.

Without much thought, Elsa stood up and took the two small steps to Anna. In one fell swoop, she leaned down, took Anna's chin to turn it upwards to look at her, and then kissed her. It was chaste, but full of love as Elsa's appreciation and adoration for the girl who turned her entire life inside out in the best ways possible flowed through her uninhibitedly. When she finally pulled back, she traced Anna's bottom lip lightly with her thumb that had been on her girlfriend's chin, and smirked at the deep blush that was rising underneath those abundant freckles. Without a word, she sat back down in her seat and proceeded to eat her dinner.

After a moment, Elsa realized that there was absolute silence around her and she looked up, chewing her mouthful of food carefully. She took in the wide smile on Liv's face and the amused look in Kai's eyes before settling her gaze on Anna, who looked slightly dazed.

"Is no one hungry?" Elsa asked easily, and the tension in the air finally popped. Kai sipped lightly at her wine and Anna cleared her throat with a little shake of her head before she started back on her meal. Liv, however, nudged Elsa's foot with her own to gain her attention. When Elsa looked at her, Liv's smile had changed slightly.

"I'm very proud of you, snowbug," Liv said in a faint whisper. "You've grown so much."

Elsa looked over at Anna, who had started talking to Kaira again. Sensing Elsa's eyes on her, she turned slightly to look at her and smiled, Elsa returning it with an easy one of her own before looking back at Liv.

"I know."

* * *

**09 May 2020**

"Let's get going soon while my spirits are still high," Uncle Fred said, standing at the edge of the docks. Elsa tried not to smirk, which was proving difficult - her uncle and his brother were looking green already and they hadn't even set foot on the boat yet. Frederic took a deep breath and clapped his brother on the shoulder, nodding for the younger to get on board first. Luke sighed and shook his head dejectedly, stepping onto the boat on wobbly knees, and his elder brother followed him.

"Okay, girls," Kaira said, turning to the two teens as Liv darted around the deck of one of the smaller boats in the sizable fleet that the Aren family had amassed over the generations. Each one was immaculately taken care of by the sisters. "We shouldn't be terribly long since Anna is certain of her decision. I'll make it clear that I am not budging on the current stipulations. We can only hope that they concede quickly. Try to stay out of trouble while we're away."

Elsa and Anna both nodded before Elsa assured her eldest sister verbally. "We'll both be keeping busy. I'll be at the Park with Raps and the scouts, and Anna has decided to surprise her mother with extra helping hands at the Institute."

"Very good. We'll try to send word, but you know how cell service is on Ahtohallan. Glaciers aren't really known for their reception," Kaira said, frowning slightly. Elsa knew her sister hated being out of reach, and with Liv going with her, the eldest was bound to worry even more.

"We'll be fine, Kai," Anna reassured her. Elsa knew her girlfriend could feel Kaira's apprehension since it was very clear to herself even. She smiled at Anna, thankful that she cared about her sisters as much as she did. Then Anna got a twinkle in her eyes and Elsa rolled her own, knowing what the next words out of her girlfriend's mouth would be. "Or you know, we could just come along. Ahtohallan sounds beautiful."

"That it is, but not today, little one. I promise that I'll take you to see it as soon as you're of age," Kaira said.

"Yeah. You don't want to go to a council meeting anyway," Liv said, walking over and looking unenthusiastic. "They're _terribly_ boring. _I_ don't even want to go today. You know, Kai, you could bring Elsa. She's just as much your heir as I am."

"Second in line to you, though, and she's got troupe duties today. Besides, she doesn't turn eighteen until the end of the year," Kaira said dismissively. She'd already explained these facts several times that morning. "Are we ready to set sail?"

"Yep! I haven't sailed in so long. Let's do this!"

"You went sailing just last weekend," Elsa said in a deadpan tone.

"Your point, miss know-it-all badger?" Liv asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. Elsa chuckled and just shook her head. "That's what I thought," Liv said with a wink before she turned to her big sister, "I'll pull the tether. We should get going before the Earthies mess up the upholstery." Liv gave each teen a kiss on their respective heads before she hopped back onto the boat.

"Auntie Ari is around if you need anything," Kaira said, then copied Liv's farewell affections and followed the rambunctious middle sister onto the boat.

Elsa and Anna waited until the boat was far off the shore before they headed away from the docks. "I have time to drop you off at the Institute before heading to pick up Raps. You're sure you don't want a ride?"

"Yeah, I haven't gone on a run all week. I have the urge to move," Anna said eagerly. She looked around to make sure no one was around before she swiftly kissed Elsa on the cheek and ran off. "Love you," she called over her shoulder.

"Love you, too," Elsa called after her. Anna was already out of sight, but Elsa knew she'd heard. She got into her car and made her way to Corona Manor. She was still feeling a bit nervous about what her sisters were about to deal with, but she tried not to dwell on it. There wasn't much that she could do about it from Arendelle. _I hate when things are out of my control_ , she lamented internally as she entered Raps' house with her spare key.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Auntie Ari called, poking her head around the corner of the kitchen. Elsa walked over to her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "How did they get off this morning?"

"Just fine. The waters are calm today, though Uncle Fred and Luke looked like they already felt sick just staring out at the ocean."

Arianna laughed at that. "I tell them they should go out more, perhaps get used to it, but they both refuse. Stuck in their ways, just like their father was." Her aunt turned back to the large island counter where she continued to knead dough directly on the flecked granite. "I made some cinnamon rolls. Have some while you wait for Rapunzel, sweetie. You'll need the energy to chase that sneaky little Niels Norberg all over the park today," her aunt said, nodding toward the stove where a stack of sticky pastries adorned a plate.

Elsa quickly walked over and picked one out, biting eagerly into the still warm bun. She hummed with delight. "You've outdone yourself with these, Auntie," Elsa said between bites. "Raps can take all the time she needs. I could eat all of these."

"Save me some!" a voice called from somewhere above them.

"I don't think I will," Elsa said, a little louder than normal, as she grabbed another sticky bun. The next thing she knew, her cousin was right in front of her, taking the pastry out of her hand and shoving half of it in her mouth.

"Fank oo," Raps said around a mouthful of the gooey, sugary treat.

Elsa rolled her eyes and grabbed another bun. "There's plenty, you fiend."

"I didn't know that," Raps shrugged before she stuffed the rest of her first roll into her mouth. She stalked over to the fridge, and poured herself and Elsa each a glass of milk. Rapunzel downed her drink in a few gulps and set her cup in the sink. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

"Um, Raps?"

"Yeah?"

Elsa nodded her head at her cousin's feet. "You forgot socks and shoes again."

"Oh, right," Rapunzel said and headed back toward her room. She could be heard muttering to herself as she climbed the stairs. "They're just so restrictive though. Whoever invented shoes…"

Elsa finished her milk and leaned against the counter, watching her aunt work. She glanced at the clock to make sure they weren't running late. _They must have reached Ahtohallan by now,_ Elsa thought to herself, her left hand instinctively reaching up and fiddling with the charms of her necklace. _Hopefully they're home by lunch. As long as nothing goes wrong, I don't see why -_

"Don't worry yourself sick, Elsa sweetheart," her aunt's voice cut through her thoughts. Elsa looked up and smiled at her sheepishly as Arianna, wiping her hands on her apron, came around the island to stand in front of her. She cupped Elsa's chin in one hand. "Your sisters know what they are doing, and my dear husband won't let anything happen to them. It's unproductive for you to dwell on it all day. Just focus on your troupe, and, before you know it, everyone will be home."

Elsa smiled at her aunt. There was nothing really to say; she knew Auntie Ari was right. A moment later, Rapunzel bounded back into the kitchen. "Okay, _now_ I'm ready."

"Have fun, girls. I believe one of the other deputies is on duty while Fred and Luke are off island," Ari said as she plopped her dough into a large bowl and covered it with a cloth before placing it in her proving drawer. Each teen gave her a kiss before they headed out to Elsa's car.

"So what do you think the council is talking about today?" Rapunzel asked as they drove the few miles toward the park. Elsa shrugged.

"I'm actually trying not to think about it."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm a little anxious about it too," Rapunzel said just as Elsa turned down the winding dirt road that led to the Rangers Station. "I had a dream last night that they couldn't come to an agreement and a fight broke out that -"

"Rapunzel, _please_ ," Elsa whined. "Please don't put more negative thoughts in my head. I'm already having trouble not spiraling as it is. Let's just…" Elsa paused her thoughts as she put the car in park and turned it off. "Can we just focus on taking the scouts out today like it's any other day?"

"Yeah, okay" Raps responded, a little downcast, and got out of the car. Elsa sighed as she followed suit. She rounded the front of the car and placed a hand to stop her cousin. Rapunzel turned to her reluctantly.

"I'm sorry. That was rather… harsh," Elsa said apologetically. "I know you're just as worried as I am. These meetings have never really boded well during our lifetimes."

"No, they really haven't," Rapunzel said, letting out a heavy breath. "But my mom is right. There's nothing we can do now, so there's no point in dwelling."

Elsa nodded her agreement and they walked into the Ranger Station. They said a quick hello to Ranger Travis and stored their things in a couple lockers before heading back out for their troupe to arrive. It was quiet for several minutes, only the sounds of nature filling the space around them, before Rapunzel spoke again, her voice quiet as the wind.

"What do you think they really want? The Westergaards."

Elsa looked at her, finding her own concern mirrored in her cousin's eyes. "I really don't know. Let's just hope it's not more than we're willing to give."

* * *

"It looks like the Southern Isles families are inside already," Liv said as she weighed anchor about half a mile off shore from the glacier. Kaira turned toward where Liv was looking and saw a large yacht in the distance that looked to be light of its passengers.

"It would appear so," Kaira responded. She began lowering the dinghy to the water when her uncle ambled unsteadily over to her.

"Ugh. Time for the smaller boat already?"

Kaira looked at him, the tinged pallor to his skin beneath his facial hair drawing a sympathetic frown between her brows. "We'll make quick work of it, Uncle. There will be solid ground beneath your feet soon enough."

"Solid ice you mean," Luke said as he stared mournfully at the dinghy.

"Ice is better than water. At least it doesn't sway," Frederic said as he made to clamber into the smaller boat. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

The rest of the contingent followed him into the boat. Liv quickly started up the motor and directed them to shore. Soon enough, the scraping of the bottom of their metal dingy greeted them as it settled upon the icy shores of Ahtohallan. They all alighted from the boat and stepped onto this worldly home of Nature, taking deep breaths of wonderment, humility, and, in the case of the brothers, relief to be back on a solid surface. Kaira led the way toward the tunnel that led toward the council chambers, Liv keeping close just behind her right shoulder.

"It always surprises me how beautiful this place is," Frederic said quietly, his deep rumble of a voice still reverberating into a melody around them. He ran a hand along the ice wall of the tunnel as they walked. "Promise you'll allow me to come the first time you bring Elsa here. She will love it."

Kaira nodded her agreement, both to bringing her uncle along when Elsa visited after coming of age and to what her baby sister's response would be. Her thoughts easily wandered to Elsa and, in turn, Anna as they ventured further toward the heart of Ahtohallan.

"Stop worrying, Kai," Liv whispered to her, reading Kaira's furrowed brow easily due to years of practice. The elder of the sisters glanced over her shoulder and smiled appreciatively before she continued to lead the way.

Soon enough, the tunnel began to widen and opened up to a large, round room. It always surprised Kaira how warm this room of ice was. In the center of a room sat a large square table with two chairs on each side, one larger than the other - a seat for a head of each house and an heir. Kaira instinctively walked over to the set of chairs bearing the mark of their family - the diamond around a single water droplet over a circle - and glanced around at the rest of the council. Her eyes stopped when she saw who was sitting in the seat designated for the head of the Fire Spirit family, fixated immediately upon the domineering man.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaira said, standing frozen beside her grand chair. She glared daggers at Lars, her eyes flickering to the young boy at his side who she recognized as his eldest son, just barely of age to attend a council meeting. " _You_ called this meeting of the council? The council which is comprised of the _heads_ of the four families."

"My father has been quite ill," Lars said, a smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I have been the acting head of the Westergaard family for several weeks now. I don't expect it will be much longer before I become the official head of house. As Rorik has been sent out of town on business, I have brought my son, Jurgen, as my heir."

"You speak so flippantly about your own father's seemingly impending demise," Liv spat out. Kaira placed a hand on her shoulder to discourage her from continuing. There was no point in antagonizing Lars before they even got started, but concern grew within her upon the realization that both Rorik and Erik had been tasked with business away from home by their eldest brother. It was all highly suspicious in its timing.

"Oh, please don't think so lowly of me. I _do_ find my father's ailment distressing, but I have the future of our family to bear when the time comes. It's prudent to keep my wits about me," Lars said, his words seemed subdued, but his tone and expression still held an air of hunger that set the sisters on edge. He gestured to the remaining four seats. "Get comfortable. There's much that we'd like to discuss."

Kaira shared a quick look with her uncle, and then all four Arendelle citizens took their respective seats. There was no use in delaying the inevitable. "Why is it that you have called us all here?" Kaira asked evenly.

"I see we're going to skip the pleasantries," Lars said, his gravelly voice grating as it echoed around the chamber. He cleared his throat and held a hand out toward his son who produced a folder from his bag then placed it in his father's outstretched hand. "There are a few terms in the treaty we'd like to address. Specifically regarding those placed under the protection of one of the families."

"I expected as much; however, I also expected to be having this conversation with your father," Kaira said, keeping her tone without emotion nor inflection. She was feeling rather optimistic regardless. The situation that Lars presented gave her a perfect argument for foregoing any updates to the treaty. "As circumstances lie, I choose, on behalf of my family, to keep the treaty as is until the formal head of the Westergaard family is once again well enough to make these negotiations of his own accord."

Lars frowned deeply, his anger obviously rising. The air around him began to waver and steam rolled off his skin. "I am acting upon my father's wishes," he said through gritted teeth.

"And have you written consent from your father indicating such?" Frederic asked, his tone genteel but his frown questioning.

"As a matter of fact…" He opened up the folder and a slight breeze wafted around them as the head of the Weselton family quickly distributed the papers to each family. "Thank you, Duke," Lars said, nodding his head toward the weaselly looking man sitting in the large chair on the Wind Spirit side of the table. Duncan (commonly referred to as Duke) Weselton was one of the longest standing members of the council, second only to Ragnar Westergaard, the ill-ridden father to the present company.

"Of course," Duke responded in his nasally voice, peering down his long nose to the paper he'd retrieved for himself. His beady eyes behind his round, gold rimmed glasses darted quickly across the page and his greying mustache twitched as he concentrated. "This all appears to be in order."

Kaira left their copy on the table between herself and Liv so they could both read it together. When she finished double checking it, she met Liv's gaze and found concern in her younger sister's eyes. She reached over and squeezed Liv's hand reassuringly before turning back to Lars. "I agree. This looks authentic. So, Lars, what is it that your father would like reassessed?"

"Anna," Lars said without further explanation.

Kaira waited a beat, expecting more, but nothing came. Instead, she shook her head in response. "I expected as much, but I am unwilling to compromise."

"Anna? This is the girlfriend of the youngest Aren, correct?" Duke asked, his eyes darting between the Water Spirit and Fire Spirit families who sat on opposite sides of the table from each other. "I don't understand, I thought we'd voted on this months ago. The girl is ward to the Aren family, is she not?"

"She is," Frederic confirmed.

"The girl is a _Westergaard_ ," Lars said, turning his attention to Duke who raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Her placement under the protection of Kaira Aren was made under false pretenses and our family -"

"There was nothing false about it," Kaira interrupted him. "I had no knowledge of her heritage when I placed her under my name in the treaty. In fact, neither did Anna herself until two months ago when her powers were unbound."

"It does not change the fact that she is indeed a descendant of Brann and, therefore, belongs with our family -"

"Be that as it may, she remains under my protection, and Anna has made it very clear to me that she wishes to remain in Arendelle with her mother and _my_ family so -"

"Because you have poisoned her against us!" Lars exclaimed.

"We only told her the truth!"

" _Your_ truth," Lars seethed. "The girl deserves to know her history, _her family's_ history, straight from the source. She belongs with us where we can protect her from -"

"From what? From the Snow Queen?" Kaira basically hissed at the Westergaard. Lars only glared back at her, silence ringing around the council chambers. "My sister has simply been blessed with this gift from Nature. It does not mean that her fate is the same as the Snow Queens of the past."

"History always repeats itself," Lars continued, his voice disturbingly calm. "That is what past recollection shows - both in the histories of the River Born and the histories of mortals. We play out the stories of the past as if it is written in stone, predetermined to occur. The new cast of characters always believes their fates will be different, that circumstances will play out differently, but in the end - the past always catches up to us."

The room quieted again as Kaira worked to collect herself, her anger causing her breathing to grow heavy. The Westergaard and Weselton stance on Elsa and her gifts have been unchanged in the decade and a half that they've been made known. Kaira feared that one day she would no longer be enough to protect her baby sister, but that was a problem for the future. She shook her head and attempted to get them back on track. "None of that matters. I have spoken to Anna at length about this, and encouraged her to consider all the aspects. She is steady in her decision to remain my ward, and, therefore, I am in no way willing to accommodate any change to the provisions regarding charges placed under one of the four families' protection."

Lars checked his watch and he seemed to relax, a devilish smile finding its way upon his face. He sighed dramatically and fixed Kaira once again with his gaze. "I figured you'd say as much. I knew negotiations would be a long shot today."

Kaira frowned as she tried to read the change in Lars' demeanor. "Then why the theatrics of a full council meeting?" It was an unspoken rule between families that, within Ahtohallan, powers were not to be used against each other, but Kaira couldn't help it. She probed Lars' mind briefly and her blood ran cold in her veins. "No…" She stood up quickly and pulled out her phone, but found absolutely no service available.

"I just needed you and Olivia off of that quaint island of yours," Lars said, his smile growing wider. Liv jumped up from her chair, but Kaira grabbed the back of her jacket to keep her from leaping across the table at the smug man. "That, and enough time for Hans to complete his part of the plan," his voice echoed after them as the sisters ran out of the chamber of ice.

* * *

Elsa and Rapunzel waved as the last minivan drove down the path leading back to the main road toward town. They headed back into the Rangers Station and Elsa quickly changed out of her scout uniform.

"Picking up Anna?" Rapunzel asked as she watched Elsa deftly re-braid her hair after shoving her yellow hat into her duffel bag.

"Yeah, we planned on going to Oaken's for lunch while we waited for Kai and Liv to get home from their meeting," Elsa answered, closing off the end of her braid with an elastic. "You're sure Eugene is picking you up?" The door opened before Raps could answer and in stepped Eugene who smiled at both girls. "Never mind, that answers that."

"I'm the answer to everyone's dreams? Yeah, I know," Eugene quipped, his smile growing wide enough that Elsa could have sworn she could count all his teeth.

She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but smile slightly. He did have a sort of charm. Plus he made her cousin happy, and she couldn't argue with that. She waved at them both as she headed to the door. "I'll see you later," she said before she darted off toward her car.

The ride to the Institute felt short as she listened to an indie rock band she'd had queued up earlier but hadn't been in the mood to listen to on the way to the Park. After her easy morning showing the junior Wilderness Explorers how to track different animals on the reservation, she was feeling much better about the whole situation. She glanced at the clock and smiled. _Kai and Liv will probably be home soon_ , she thought to herself. _Maybe Anna and I could make dinner tonight to give them a little break._

She parked and headed inside, waving to Hank as she approached the front desk to check in. Elsa scanned the list briefly and saw that there hadn't been many visitors today. Only a couple names were sandwiched between Anna's and the line where she was writing hers, and Anna's line was the only visitor entry without a sign out time. Elsa's eyes lingered for a moment on Anna's check in time. It was well over an hour later than when they had parted this morning.

_What was she doing during then?_

"Hello, Elsa dear," someone called, breaking her thoughts.

Elsa turned toward the voice and found Iduna walking toward her from the hall leading to her office. She smiled at her girlfriend's mother. "Hi, Iduna. I came to meet Anna. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Anna? I haven't seen her today." Iduna frowned slightly. "She shouldn't have come here. We had… last minute visitors."

"She wanted to surprise you today by coming to lend a hand around here…" Elsa quickly felt tension rising in her. _Last minute visitors? Does she mean Westergaards?_ She glanced back down at the guest log and noticed a couple indiscernible scrawls above Anna's neat penmanship. The matching last names appeared to start with a 'w,' but she couldn't read the rest. Elsa took a few deep breaths to maintain her composure. _Did I feel that tug when I got close to the Institute_? She tried to think back to her drive, but she hadn't quite been paying attention, moving mostly on autopilot and the residual levity of her morning hours at the Park. She tried to concentrate on her bond with Anna, but she was coming up with nothing.

"Perhaps she's helping Go Go? Let's go check in the labs," Iduna said with an uneasy smile.

_Go Go! Of course,_ Elsa thought and followed Iduna down a hall she hadn't been down before. She relaxed as they walked and peered through the different windows at what the many researchers were doing. They finally reached a room near the end that seemed to be filled with machine parts. It was not a room she expected in a marine biology laboratory, but knowing Go Go, it made sense.

"Hey, Dr. N.," Go Go said as they entered. Her eyes roamed to Elsa when she trailed in behind Iduna. "Oh hey, Elsa! What brings you two here? Are we planning Anna a surprise party for her birthday next month or something?"

"No, though that is something to consider," Iduna responded thoughtfully. "No, we were looking for Anna. The visitor log indicates that she's around here somewhere. Is she doing something for you?"

"Hm? No, I haven't seen her in a couple of hours," Go Go said. Elsa breathed out a sigh of relief ( _so Anna is here somewhere_ ). Go Go set down the contraption she was working on and swiveled her chair to face them. "She probably forgot to sign out. I saw her leave with that boy."

"Boy? You mean Kristoff?" Elsa asked, a little confused. _Why didn't she text me?_

"No, that boy that was here last month for a tour," Go Go answered. Both Iduna and Elsa went stock still, the color from their faces draining simultaneously. "He was here earlier with his brothers. His family is the one that owns the island where we're studying that pod of walruses. West-something?"

"Westergaard," Iduna said in a whisper.

"That's it. Hans, I think, was his name," Go Go said cheerfully.

Elsa's blood ran cold and her world felt like it stopped. She could feel the ice creeping out of her fingertips as panic began to take hold. She was vaguely aware of Iduna standing before her, talking to her, holding her shoulders, but Elsa couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, couldn't _feel_ _anything_. It was like the sun had gone out.

_Where is Anna? I need to find Anna,_ were the only thoughts that rang through her head.

* * *

"I'm happy you decided to come with me," Hans said with a smile as he sat behind the tiller of his personal speedboat. "You're going to love the Southern Isles. Everyone is excited to meet you."

Anna did not respond. She sat at the back of the boat, facing the distance behind them and hugging herself tightly around her middle. She wiped a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. _What have I done?_ she thought as she watched Arendelle fade into the horizon. _I'm so sorry, Elsa._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies - it's a little later (yeah, I know... a lot later) in the day than usual. I was a little busy today and wanted to read it once more before posting. 
> 
> Oh, did you think I'd apologize for the cliff hanger? Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry (and not sorry) about that too. Thanks for reading! Y'all are the best! Comments are always appreciated. Thank you to my BETA - you're also the best. Until next week my friends :) Try to stay out of the purple zones.


	29. The Southern Isles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

"I have time to drop you off at the Institute before heading to pick up Raps. You're sure you don't want a ride?"

"Yeah, I haven't gone on a run all week. I have the urge to move," Anna said. She'd been cooped up indoors quite a bit lately. Her training had been put on hold after Erik was sent on the business trip to strike a new deal with Gerda's family. With Erik gone, Rorik had been given more responsibilities and was unable to venture over to Arendelle. On top of that, Kaira and Liv were busier than ever with the animal trap development, and many of Elsa's afternoons were spent with the scouts at the Park. So Anna had been mostly filling her time with reading, or lazing about in general. _Maybe I'll take the long way to the Institute. Get in a few miles_ , she thought to herself. Anna glanced around to make sure there wasn't anyone watching. Satisfied that she wouldn't be spotted, she swiftly kissed Elsa on the cheek and ran off. "Love you," she called over her shoulder.

"Love you, too," she heard the whisper of her girlfriend's response follow her down the lightly used dirt path that she'd chosen.

Anna took a deep breath and smiled as she ran incredibly fast; faster than the untrained mortal eye could see. She never thought that she'd ever love running so much, but while running as a mortal had been exhausting and (in her opinion) pointless, running with her Nature given gifts was exhilarating and energizing. She relished the light pattering of her feet against the ground, the way her muscles burned with each subsequent step, the rush of the wind against her face. It helped clear her head and made her feel lighter after all her worrying the last few days. She was sure that Kaira's predictions of what her estranged family would be hoping to accomplish with the council meeting were accurate. After that dinner a few nights ago, Anna had gone home to tell her mother what was happening. While her mother seemed slightly worried at first, Iduna seemed to readily accept that Kaira would handle the situation.

" _Kaira is strong and resilient. I find her admirable - taking care of her two younger sisters when she was still a child herself, the way she runs this town, how she protects the people in her life. She is a force and I believe she will find a way,"_ her mother had said.

Iduna's confidence gave Anna enough stability to make it through the rest of the week without having a meltdown, but it didn't stop her from spiraling when she was alone. It was nice to burn off some of the pent up energy she still had. _It will be over soon. Kai and Liv will be back by tonight, and we'll get on with our lives,_ she kept telling herself as she ran, but the more she thought the words, the more of an internalized lie it began to sound like. Anna pushed herself harder; focusing on the path, her breathing, her footfalls… anything other than the situation that Kaira and Liv were sailing into for her.

Unexpectedly, Anna burst out onto a pebbly beach and came skidding to a halt before she ran out into the cold waters. She looked around and realized that she'd ran straight to the eastern shores. Instinctively, she turned to her left and picked up her run again, quickly coming upon the face of a cliff. Smiling, she scaled the cliff and trekked down into the small fjord that Elsa had taken her to many months ago - the night she'd found the courage to confront her mother after her powers were unlocked.

The tide was high and water surrounded the large, flat rock that she'd sat on with her girlfriend that night. So instead, she sank down on the shore, away from the waves, and breathed in deeply. Fortifying the walls of the castle inside her head, she closed her eyes and attempted to rid her mind of all thoughts and outside emotions. Instead, she focused on the world around her. Salty ocean breezes and the pine scent of evergreens… the sounds of the waves on the rocky shore… the warmth of the sun on her face. Anna could no longer deny the beauty that Arendelle possessed. She understood now about Nature and all her bounty.

 _Balance_ , she thought. _It's all about balance._ Her mind wandered to all those months ago when she'd first, begrudgingly, moved to Alaska and this small island of Arendelle. It seemed so long ago that she held such animosity toward the icy cold winds and grey days. Now, she found the crisp air refreshing and appreciated the sunny days more now than when they were a nearly everyday occurrence. She could no longer imagine life anymore outside of Arendelle. Truthfully, she couldn't imagine life anymore without Elsa in it. _Elsa and I balance each other. Nature brought us together for a reason. Her will always finds a way._

When Anna opened her eyes again, the sun had visibly shifted in the sky. Anna checked her watch and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. She'd been sitting on the beach with only her thoughts for over an hour. _Mama won't believe me when I tell her_ , Anna thought. This was probably some sort of new record for her. In general, Anna was a bundle of energy, so telling her mother she spent the last hour essentially meditating would definitely be a shock. She stood up and dusted herself off before climbing back over the cliffside and finishing her run to the Institute. Slowing down just before she'd made it out of the woods off to the side of the main parking lot, she looked around quickly to make sure there was no one around before she stepped out of the trees and walked up to the front entrance.

"Good morning, Anna," Hank greeted her when she stepped into the lobby. "Did Elsa drop you off? I didn't think I saw anyone drive into the lot."

"Oh, I was in the area and decided to walk over," Anna said with a smile as she checked the time once more and finished signing in. "Is my mom in her office?"

"Actually, I believe she and a few of the principal researchers are with some clients in conference room B for a video call with the Monterey facility."

"That's okay. I'll go see if I can find Go Go. Thanks, Hank," she said. He tipped his head at her and she made her way toward the laboratory wing. She headed to Go Go's lab, stopping several times along the way to greet a few of the other researchers, only to find it empty. With a shrug, she decided she'd just go wait in her mother's office until she was done with her meeting.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," a voice drawled as she passed through the main lobby again on her way to the administrative offices on the other side of the building

Anna froze mid-step; her stomach dropped and her heart sped up at the sound of the velvety yet sinister voice. She looked up to find Hans leaning one elbow on the reception desk, a foot neatly tucked behind the other, and a smug smirk on his face. Anna took another step and saw that Hank wasn't sitting where he was a few minutes ago; a 'Please Wait for Assistance' sign was on the counter in his place. She crossed her arms defensively over her chest.

"What are you doing here, Westergaard?"

"Like I said, I've been looking for you everywhere…" his smile widened, "Westergaard."

"My name is North."

"On paper perhaps, but your blood runs with the fire of our family's magic," he said. She didn't have a response for him; her heritage was no longer a secret. Instead, she stood strong and fixed him with a hard glare. Hans didn't seem to find her intimidating, though. "Lars has given me an assignment. I've come to take you with me to the Southern Isles."

"No, thanks," Anna said. "I'm extremely allergic to hubris."

Hans laughed uninhibitedly at that. "You have fire, Anna. Mother would have loved you," he said once he regained composure. His wide smile fell back into that smug smirk after a moment's pause. "I don't think I was being very clear. I wasn't making a request. You will eventually board my boat today, of that I am sure. Just how much damage should occur beforehand is entirely up to you, though."

"That was a very poor attempt at a thinly veiled threat," she grumbled through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't meant to be veiled in the slightest," he responded. Hans pushed himself up from his leaning position and took a few steps forward. He towered over Anna, but she wasn't afraid of him. Liv had trained her well enough to defend herself against larger enemies ( _'You're small, Anna bear. You'll likely be smaller than anyone you might ever fight. I will still teach you how to win regardless of size,'_ Liv had told her during their first session).

"You can't do anything here. Not without violating the treaty," she said calmly.

"Treaty?" Hans chuckled, making Anna more wary about the situation she found herself presently in. "Oh, Anna. We no longer care about that treaty. That treaty was our father's, and he's been so ill lately," he drawled. "Lars has assumed the role as head of _our_ family."

Anna's face paled upon the realization. Erik had been sent out of town by Lars. Rorik had been kept busy by Lars. That means this council meeting was probably called to order by Lars. She lifted her chin defiantly. "It doesn't matter. You'd never be able to stand up to Elsa."

"You're right," Hans agreed. Anna was taken aback, and visibly too because Hans continued. "Our family, historically, has never been a match for a Snow Queen, but something is different this time."

"And what might that be?" she asked, a little afraid she already knew the answer.

"You," he said with finality.

"Too bad for you," she retorted. "I would _never_ hurt Elsa."

"Oh, I never thought that you would. Besides, you wouldn't have much chance against a Snow Queen either," Hans said. "But I expect that the Ice Queen would put herself in any sort of danger to protect you. Which brings me back to my assignment… After you," he said, gesturing toward the exit with a slight wave of his hand.

"Your ego is much bigger than I ever imagined if you believe I'm just going to walk out of here with you," Anna said with a roll of her eyes. Instead of heading toward the door, she took a wide angle around him toward her mother's office. She only made it a few steps before she felt him grab her arm.

"Remember that I have at least eight other brothers who willingly follow Lars' lead," Hans said menacingly. "Lars and my nephew are representing the family at the council meeting as we speak, but the rest of us… Well, let's just say that most of our boats left the docks at the same time this morning."

"So that's your plan? Get most of the River Born off of Arendelle and storm our shores to retrieve me?" Anna scoffed, meeting his gaze once more. She saw a flicker of irritation in his eyes and dug deeper. "I know how powerful Elsa is. That's hardly a plan at all." He gripped her arm tighter and jerked her close. She involuntarily gasped in surprise, his smirk finding its way on his face once more in response to the fear she had been hiding well until that point.

"Yes, going after the Ice Queen, even without her sisters at her side, would be a fool's errand. She could protect herself from us easily, but my brother's aren't after her. At least, not today," he said. He let go and took a step back quickly and assumed a more friendly posture. Hans turned his head pointedly in the direction she had come from earlier. Through the glass doors separating the rehabilitation and laboratory wing from the main entrance she saw Go Go talking animatedly to a red-haired man Anna had never met before. Go Go spotted her and waved before continuing toward the labs. "Another of my brother's is with your mother in a meeting right now. There's a couple having coffee at that cafe you and the Ice Queen enjoy so much. Oaken's, I think it's called. I believe another is at the school, observing a high school lacrosse team under the guise of a college scout. You see, we know we're no match for a Snow Queen, but a few measly mortals? I think that we can handle just fine."

It was as if ice was running through her veins. She felt the panic rising, but quickly attempted to quell it. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. _Get it together, Anna Rae. If you panic, Elsa will come running right into this trap_ , she thought to herself. She walked the halls in her head and came to a stop in front of a pale blue door and pushed it open gently. Calm flooded through the halls of her castle and she opened her eyes once more to look at Hans.

"Call your brothers off and I'll come with you," she said evenly.

That smug smirk again. Anna wanted to punch it off of his face. "I knew you'd come around."

She quickly reached up and snapped his collar, pulling his face down so it was level with hers. The wave of serenity she'd allowed out of its room was slowly ebbing away, and an anger in her belly over her loved ones being threatened began to grow in its place. "If anyone I care about is harmed in any way, I will make you regret ever being born."

An odd sort of look flashed behind Hans' eyes and a new emotion hit her. It was a feeling that Anna didn't quite understand - a sadness almost, a very deep one. It quickly faded as he smiled that self-satisfied smile once more. "Yeah - you definitely have a fire in you. Fine," he said holding his hands up. "I'll tell my brothers to stand down," he relented. Anna let him go and he righted himself, adjusting his shirt before pulling his phone out and tapping a quick message on the screen. Watching Hans send a text out to his brothers jogged her mind and her hand instinctively went to her back pocket, but before she could do anything, Hans grabbed her wrist. "Ah ah. Hand it over."

She glared at him, but quickly gave in when Go Go and a Westergaard brother she hadn't met yet came into the lobby. Anna handed over her phone and she watched him power it off. _Anything to keep everyone safe,_ she thought as Go Go waved at her. She smiled, hoping not to alert the older girl of her internal distress. Anna noticed Hans give his brother a nod before they walked out of the building. "So your brothers are backing off, right? I won't get on your boat until I'm certain my people are safe."

"Lars was very specific in his instructions," Hans said, unlocking his rental car and motioning for her to get in. Once she was settled in the passenger seat, he shut her door and got behind the wheel. "If I confirm that you've agreed to come with me, everyone is to stand down and stand by, then head home once I've gotten you to our shores. Now, if you were to refuse… well, we were then supposed to get you home by any means necessary. You're just going to have to trust me when I say that they won't harm anyone if you comply."

"Trust you?" she scoffed. "You think I should trust the guy who's literally in the middle of kidnapping me?"

"I'm taking you home. It's your birthright to step foot on our family island," Hans said. His expression was so genuine that it caught her off guard. Excitement and satisfaction, different than earlier when he'd had her backed into a proverbial corner, flowed off of him despite his cool outward composure. "You'll see. Once you learn our side of history, once you meet the family you'd been denied your whole life, I'm certain you'll find that it's where you belong."

Anna knew he truly believed it.

She turned away from him and stared out of the window as they passed through the town she'd made her home over the last half year, catching sight of two auburn haired men leaving Oaken's as they passed the town square. Anna despaired as his words hit her hard, aided by his steady resolve that was knocking at her castle's gates. If she admitted it to herself, she was afraid that he _was_ right. Anna had always wondered about her father, about any family outside of her mother in fact. Elsa, her sisters, Rapunzel, Kristoff… they all filled voids she wasn't aware she'd had in her life before, but could those voids be better fitted with family members that shared the blood in her veins. She loved Rorik and Erik. Could she possibly find a home with the other Westergaards?

 _No_ , she told herself. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _I chose my family. I just need to find a way out of this situation before any of them gets hurt._ They were approaching the docks now, pulling into the parking lot just outside the harbor master's building. She considered running. She was fast, even by River Born standards, but the other Westergaards were still scattered throughout Arendelle. Anna was not willing to put the lives of all her friends and family on the line so she followed Hans without resistance onto his boat.

"You're much more compliant than I anticipated you'd be," Hans said as he undid the tether to his speedboat and gave them a slight kick away from the shore. He stuck his key in the ignition, but before he turned the motor over, Hans looked at her curiously. "Is it simply the threat that makes you so agreeable or are you possibly eager to be going?"

Anna chose not to dignify his question with an answer, and he took her silence for what he wanted, his face smug once more as he turned on the boat and took off to the south. She sat sideways on the bench seat furthest away from him and pulled her knees to her chest, looking determinedly away. Desolation took root in her. She couldn't see how this would not lead to a battle, and a battle would certainly lead to people getting hurt, mostly likely the people she cared about. The Westergaards alone outnumbered Arendelle. Add the Weselton family, and the numbers were completely discouraging. She'd worked out on her own that the only thing that kept the Fire and Air families at bay was the threat of the Snow Queen.

But now they had Anna… And she finally understood. She'd been blinded by the fact that her new powers could be coveted; told by several people that, above all else, the Westergaards cannot know what she's truly capable of. Her empathic powers had obscured the most obvious Achilles' heel that a well placed arrow could destroy them with.

 _They don't need to use my powers for their own gain. It wasn't_ my _weakness they found to use against me,_ she thought, the revelation hitting her like a cold blast of wind and awakening her senses. _Elsa finally has a weakness they can exploit… me._

"I'm happy you decided to come with me," Hans said with a smile as he sat behind the tiller of his personal speedboat. "You're going to love the Southern Isles. Everyone is excited to meet you."

Anna, again, did not respond. She sat at the back of the boat, facing the distance behind them and hugging herself tightly around her middle. She wiped a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. _What have I done?_ she thought as she watched Arendelle fade into the horizon. _I'm so sorry, Elsa._ She had been played; swindled due to her natural compassion and empathy toward others, and as a result, Anna had given the Westergaards the upper hand. Anna knows Elsa, and she knows exactly how Elsa will respond. She had to find a way to stop Elsa from coming after her, to stop her from walking right into what would certainly be a trap.

The trip to the Southern Isles was quick, Hans' speedboat made fast work of the distance across the Southern Seas. They pulled into a small, private harbor. The sign above the single boat house read 'House Westergaard' in large block letters, and underneath it in a neat scrawl, 'May Our Fire Ever Burn.'

"Welcome home at last, Anna," Hans said cordially. He hopped out of the boat and extended a hand to help her, one that she ignored. She stepped out onto the wooden dock and looked around.

The island looked like a quaint suburban neighborhood except that the houses were much farther apart. From the docks, she counted five large homes, neat asphalt paths snaking between them. She was surprised to see that it was so green - the pine trees, perfectly trimmed grass, colorful gardens. Anna had built up this image in her head over time of a place as opposite to Arendelle as she could think of - if the Westergaards were the counterbalance to the Arens, surely their home island would reflect that. She would have found it more fitting if Hans had led her into a lair in the middle of a volcano. What she found instead was -

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Hans said, observing her take in the new surroundings. "And this is only our family's island. The rest of the Southern Isles has a lot to offer, but we kept the best one for ourselves. Come, there's much to see."

He led her up a path that winded slightly uphill. There were a few side paths that led off of this road, which she assessed to be the main road on this island since it was slightly wider than the rest. When she counted the eighth manor she'd seen, her curiosity got the better of her. "How many houses are here?"

"Fourteen properties, though many of them have more than one home," Hans said as he pointed down the next path for her to look. From the main road, she could see a large home, but when she looked closer, she could see a smaller (though still sizable) house not far from it. "I'd imagine there's a little over twenty houses total, though not all of them are occupied at the moment."

"I would have thought since you have eleven brothers living here, that the houses would be mostly full. Especially with extended family living in the area."

"You think our family always reproduces like rabbits?" Hans asked jokingly. He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Maybe a long time ago. My father's… large brood is really a singular recent experience. He had his reasoning, but like most these days, households here consist of one or two, occasionally three children."

"And do they all live here?"

"Mostly. We do have a small cohort in Oslo since we do a lot of business out of Norway. Also, like all the River Born families, there's always those individuals, like Anders, your father, that choose to leave this life behind."

Anna frowned. She'd never heard that before. "I thought my father leaving was rare."

"Generally speaking, yes," he said, looking sideways at her as they continued their trek up the hill. "There aren't many that have decided to cut ties, but there have been some throughout history from each of the four families. I expect that, all around the world, there are some River Born descendants out there. Their powers may likely be diluted or even non-existent, however, being so far from Ahtohallan over the generations."

Anna let the quiet settle around them again as she considered this new information. It made her think of Kristoff - orphaned at a young age, his powers manifesting when he was placed in a foster home on Arendelle close to Nature's physical home on this earth. Auntie Ari had told her once that she'd noticed that, before that fateful sailing trip, Anna's aura had been changing the longer she was in Arendelle, like her proximity to Ahtohallan was making a difference. The implication that there could be many more like her, individuals unaware of their heritage, out in the world was staggering.

As they rounded a bend, a manor as grand as the Aren home came into view. Its style was drastically different - where Elsa's family had built their home with natural woods and classic designs that nodded toward Scandanavian in influence, the Westergaard ancestral home was mostly stone, and the architecture choices seemed too domineering to be considered homey. Instead, it gave the impression that it was more a fortress than anything else. She came to a stop when they reached the front steps and she looked up, squinting slightly in the sunlight.

"So _this_ is the arrogant prick factory," she quipped, eyes landing on the live flames that adorned the sconces on either side of the main doors.

"The very one," he joked along. He seemed to be in high spirits now that they were here.

 _Rightly so. He's holding all the cards right now,_ she thought. "So is there, like, a dungeon you're going to throw me into or something?" she asked, gazing up once more at the almost castle-like appearance of the Westergaard Manor.

He laughed heartily at that. "It is a bit imposing, isn't it? But no, no dungeons. You'll have a room, of course, while you're here," he said. That surprised her. Rooms are for guests and she had gotten the impression she was a prisoner or, at best, a hostage. "I can show that to you first if you'd like?"

"I would _like_ to go home," she retorted.

He smirked and opened up the door. "After you then," he said with a wave of his hand.

"Not what I meant," she muttered. She rolled her eyes and stepped inside. Anna entered into the great room where she was greeted by a large hearth burning brilliantly on the wall opposite the door in between the double staircase that wound its way to the third floor above. She followed the stone chimney with her eyes and found she could see all the way to the exposed rafters, each floor visible from the front entrance. Most of the interior, like the outside, was built from stone - the floors were treated marble, the walls a complementary flagstone, the stairs made of a composite concrete. There were some polished wood accents, but overall it felt like she'd walked into a medieval castle that had gotten a modern makeover.

"All the stone feels a little dated, I know, but with younglings running around who may not have full control over their fire powers… well, the house has to be more fire resistant than wood can allow," Hans said, watching Anna scan the entrance hall. He started up one of the staircases, pausing a few steps up and turned to look at her when Anna didn't follow. With a sigh, she allowed him to lead her up to the second floor where he took a right down one of the two hallways leading away from the center of the home. "This floor is where most of the bedrooms are. All the guest rooms are currently occupied, so you'll be staying in the room across from mine."

As they strolled down the hall, Anna noticed that each bedroom was marked with a name. She figured, with so many sons and, therefore, grandsons, the head of the house required labels to remember who was living where. Her gaze lingered curiously at the closed door labeled Erik as they passed. _Uncle Erik was sent to Norway, but I wonder where Uncle Rorik is_ , she thought. Lars must have gotten rid of him somehow to pull off this scheme without the Arendelle contingent being made aware. She just hoped that he was simply sent away and not harmed somehow. They stopped outside of the door labeled 'Hans' and Anna turned to look at the room across the hall from it. Like all the other doors, it also had a small golden placard, this one read 'Astrid.' Hans turned the handle and opened up the door.

 _That's a lot of pink_ , was her first thought. There was a light pink wallpaper with an ornate flower design. The comforter upon the canopy bed was a slightly darker shade of pink, a sort of mauve color. Even the cushion beneath the large bay window on the far wall was pink. She was drawn to the far corner where there was a crib with a rocking chair placed next to it. That's when she noticed the other items in the room - the changing station, the small bookcase full of books ranging from baby stories to young readers, the multiple stuffies in the small toy chest, the bedside tables with a reading lamp and small jewelry box. This was clearly a room designed to be a nursery that would grow up with its occupant.

With a confused sort of frown, she turned to Hans. He stood in the doorway, almost unwilling to step foot into the room. Despair… regret… guilt… the emotions rolled off him even though he kept a stoic expression.

"I hope this will do?" he said, his voice quieter and more vulnerable than she'd ever heard him speak before. It caught her off guard. She'd seen him let his softer side show once, when he was talking about his mother. She found that Hans without his usual arrogant swagger was disarming in a way. Anna glanced around the room once more, confusion still filling her head.

"Kai said that no girl has been born to the Westergaard family in generations," Anna said slowly, the wheels in her head turning but getting nowhere.

His face was as stony as the walls around them. "That is… mostly true."

Anna tilted her head slightly as she thought it through, trying to make sense of his words. "Then whose room is this? Who is Astrid?"

Hans seemed to hesitate. He worried at the hem of his extremely neat collared shirt, picking at lint that wasn't there. Eventually, he took a breath and met her eyes again. "Astrid is… was… my sister."

"But I thought -"

"She died," he interrupted, and Anna went still. "In childbirth. Five years ago; the same incident also took my mother."

"Oh," Anna whispered. There was nothing that she could think to say in response. She felt the gloomy melancholy that filled him; it made the air around her feel heavy. They stood there for a long, silent moment before Hans finally stepped into the room. He walked over to the small dresser and picked up a picture frame that Anna had only glanced over.

"By River Born standards, my mother was still young. A pregnancy at her age should have been no problem except that she'd already bore thirteen boys prior and suffered several miscarriages between myself and Astrid," Hans explained, his eyes on the photograph. He handed it over to Anna. She recognized the woman in the photo from the secret picture album her mother had, except the woman in this photo was clearly older than when she'd taken that portrait with a young Rorik and Anders. The years had treated her well; she was still stunningly beautiful almost two decades later. "My father was determined, though, to have a daughter, to bring the first girl to the family in many generations. Mother loved him so much, she kept trying for him."

"Why though? He already had thirteen sons. What reason could he have to be so desperate for a daughter?"

"Simple," he answered. He fixed her with a steady gaze. "Because of your girlfriend."

"Elsa? I don't understand," she said, frowning deeply with more confusion. "What does Elsa have to do with Ragnar wanting a daughter?"

Hans checked his watch and seemed to contemplate for a moment. "There's time," he decided, and he nodded at Anna. "I can show you. If you truly want to understand."

She studied him carefully. There was a certain satisfaction that was underlying his emotions now, which had shifted from the despondency he'd fallen into upon first opening this bedroom back into an excitement that she couldn't pinpoint what the cause of it was. Deciding that the more information she could gather while she was here, the better, she nodded her agreement. He smiled widely and turned to exit the room, leading her back to the staircase. They ascended to the top floor and headed toward the opposite side of the house from the bedroom that Anna was to stay in. Hans took her to the end of the hall where a large set of double doors stood. She could barely contain the gasp that threatened to escape when he opened them up.

They stepped into a large library. There were bookcases lining each wall that scaled from floor to ceiling, with the exception of a portion of the outer wall which was taken up by another large fireplace; this one also alive with a roaring fire. The rafters in here, like in the great hall, were exposed, creating space for two layers of shelving stacked one upon the other. In between, was a narrow walkway, like a catwalk in a theater, that wound all the way around the room. Several rolling ladders were placed along the walls both on the ground level and the elevated middle balcony. The middle of the room contained several large tables surrounded by chairs. The area in front of the fireplace had a large area rug and a handful of big, comfortable looking armchairs facing the fire.

"Welcome to our ancestral library," Hans said, looking around just like Anna was.

" _This_ is the Westergaard ancestral library?" Anna asked, her voice quiet, hardly above a whisper. _It's at least three times larger than the one in Aren Manor._

"I take it the Ice Queen has shown you theirs. It's not as large as this, I assume?" Hans asked back, looking at her now. She didn't want to give anything away. Telling him about Elsa's family history felt like a betrayal. Instead, she only shrugged, and he took her noncommittal answer as confirmation regardless. "It wouldn't be, of course. I'd expect that their library is probably lacking when it comes to the detailed history of the Snow Queens and the wars that they incited. I don't blame them really, for trying to hide it. The shame they must feel about it all…"

At that she stared at him incredulously, mouth slightly agape, as he let the sentence hang. Her anger began mounting. She felt defensive - of Elsa, of the sisters who treat her like their own, of Auntie Ari and Rapunzel and, in turn, the rest of the Coronas. "They have nothing to be ashamed of," she said heatedly. "It's your family that started the wars. The Westergaards and their thirst for power."

His eyebrows shot up so far they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "Is that what they believe? Incredible," he said dismissively as he browsed the shelves. "Though, I won't deny that _our_ family, like each of the four, _is_ guilty of causing many of the imbalances that have occurred between us all throughout history. Which leads us to why I brought you in here in the first place." He plucked a large volume from a bookshelf, its size reminding Anna of the massive organic chemistry text her mother kept in her office. "This," he said, walking toward the hearth and sitting in one of the armchairs, "is the history of the Empath."

Anna stilled. Her eyes darted to his reflexively and she could see he was eyeing her with curiosity. She swallowed and took in a measured breath. "The what?"

"Empath," Hans said once more. "She is the reason my father wanted a daughter so badly." He gestured to the seat next to him with his eyes, and she sat willingly, curious about those who wielded her power before her. When she was settled, he cracked open the leather bound book. "There have been three in our family's history. The first was Astrid. Father named my sister for her, obviously. She was born in 1323 and was a true force of Nature; commanding armies with merely a passing desire," he said, turning to a page in the book with a small portrait of an auburn haired girl in the corner, a tale of her journey spilling over the pages after it.

"Next came Brynn, born in 1571. She was sneakier than her predecessor, gathering a quiet following to rise up unexpectedly," he explained, stopping at a chapter midway through the book briefly to show her a young woman with even more freckles than Anna had before leafing to the final third of the book. "Then finally there was Elin. She'd managed to bring the Aren family to its knees, the only one of our family to ever do so," he said, stopping at a scenic portrait of a ginger haired woman towering above a mass of people kneeling before her. "The Empath has always been the most powerful of our family line, like the Snow Queen of the Arens, the Golem Mage of the Coronas, and the Storm Bringer of the Weseltons."

Anna stared at the picture of Elin. She wondered if Elin had chosen that path for herself or if it was chosen for her. Did she always seek to loom over all those blessed by Nature, or was she influenced to do it, forced down the road toward chaos and destruction? She considered briefly if she could ever imagine herself walking the same trail, and physically shook herself to get rid of the thought. Anna looked back at Hans, raising one brow at him.

"What does this have to do with your father's desperation to have a daughter?"

"Simple, really. He believed that the only answer to Elsa is an equal; another powerfully gifted River Born. Our history says the Empath, like the other families' most powerful individuals, is always a woman, and so he had hoped to father the first Empath in nearly three centuries."

"That's madness," she gasped. He nodded solemnly.

"And yet it somehow makes sense." He waved a hand around the room as if it exemplified the reasoning. "Generations of lore and verifiable accounts tell us that the future is predictable, and that that future includes Elsa rising to terrible greatness in the end. For those sisters to deny what is plain to see is blissful ignorance."

He stood and walked away, running a hand along the spines of one of the nearest bookcases. She glared at his back, insulted by his obvious judgement on behalf of those she'd left behind in Arendelle. Hans found what he was looking for, his arms laden with several tomes, and beckoned her to join him at one of the long tables. Anna knew it was pointless to refuse so she joined his table, but, to make a point, she chose to sit two chairs away from him. He looked over and rolled his eyes at her insolence before scooting down one, sliding his pile of books with him.

"This is the account of Ingrid, the Snow Queen before Elsa. She lived in the 1800s," he explained, pushing the first book closer to her and opening it to the middle. Anna looked down and recognized the scene painted across the pages. It was the same picture of the Snow Queen that Elsa had shown her months ago.

"I already know this story," Anna said. "Your family was intimidated by the amount of power she could yield and attacked her out of fear. She didn't even live to see twenty-five."

"That's not the truth as I know it. You're right in saying that she died young, but it was not _our_ family that began the war," he paused, pushing the book even more until it was right under her nose. "She did."

"Why would she start a war with the other families?" Anna said derisively. "What did she have to gain inciting a fight?"

"The same thing every Snow Queen has ever wanted - control over all the River Born."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Oh, but it isn't," Hans said, turning his torso toward her. "You've said so yourself - Elsa is powerful; more powerful than any of us. Just like every Snow Queen before her. All that power?" He grabbed the next book and flipped several pages to another picture, this one was labeled 'Greta, 1697' and was eerily similar to Ingrid's scene. "It goes to one's head, makes them think they are destined for greatness," he continued, opening another book - 'Helga, 1503.' "Makes them believe that they know best and should have authority." The next - 'Nissa, 1434.' "Makes them forget themselves, forget what or who was important to them, in favor of ascendency."

A final turn of the pages in the most worn out tome to 'Kolga, the First,' a picture so uncannily similar to Elsa it made her gasp. Anna pulled the drawing of Kolga closer - the playful smirk, the single left dimple, the bright ocean eyes and platinum hair - it was almost as if Elsa was the first blessed Aren incarnate. Anna turned away from the portrait and looked at the page on the right side of the book. Like the others, it depicted a battlefield, Kolga standing on a cliff, looking on as the fighting below her ensued, her expression grimly delighted. _That's the difference_ , she thought.

"Elsa would never do any of this," she said, her voice sure and steady. She met his gaze with an unwavering one of her own. "She doesn't want any of this," she continued, waving a hand at the pictures. "All she wants is peace."

"For now," Hans argued back. "History has a way of repeating itself. We've seen this story played out before. A leader, a person with power who believes that they can make the world a better place, and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Time and time again - tyrants and demagogues and dictators. The accounts of the world are riddled with their rise and fall only to be followed by another, often a more heinous version of the last."

"That's _not_ Elsa!" Anna shouted, shoving her chair back aggressively and shooting to her feet. "She wants none of that. All she wants is to live her life without fear! And all you and your family does is make that impossible!"

"We're doing what we must to ensure the safety of everyone!" Hans grabbed the first book again, the one about Ingrid, and pushed it toward her once more. "Water ebbs and flows, carving shapes out of rock and misting in the air, suffocating fire. It is the natural inclination of the Water Spirit family to seek control. That's what makes them great leaders and organizers, but can also make them both oppressive and repressive.

"I've studied the Ice Queen all these years. I understand her as well as her family does, as well as you do," Hans continued to explain, his voice becoming heavier with malice. "I know she seeks control. It shows in all the choices she makes - pushing down her emotions, keeping you from your true family, denying what her destiny so obviously is. _That_ is her downfall. It's the same story that plays out in the tales of the five Snow Queens that have come before her… and I've memorized every aspect of each legend. I know exactly what needs to occur to achieve our endgame."

He pointed to the picture of Ingrid again and she looked down at it, more carefully this time as she tried to find the logic to his ramblings. Then she noticed it. It was subtle, the difference between the picture in this Westergaard depiction and the one she'd first seen in the Aren family history. In both pictures, the Snow Queen stands on her own above the battle, ice and snow swirling around her as she reigns from isolation. The book in the Aren ancestral library shows her family fighting the other three below her, but the Westergaard drawing contradicts that. This drawing before Anna now shows elemental users of all four families - Air, Fire, Water, and Earth - turned united against the beautiful but domineering figure.

Dread filled Anna's chest. She didn't want to believe it, any of it. She kept telling herself that Elsa's future was her own to choose, and she had been confident that Elsa would choose to change the narrative of the Snow Queen. Yet, the evidence laid before her made her falter, and she was beginning to see Hans' plan for what it was. Anna wasn't taken simply to draw Elsa to the Southern Isles where they have home field advantage. She was here to be used as a tool to push Elsa over the edge; to go from being the aloof Ice Queen of Arendelle High to becoming the legendary Snow Queen of the River Born saga.

"It's not going to work," she muttered after several minutes of silence.

"What's that now?" he said smugly.

"It's not going to work," she said, this time clearer, raising her eyes to his. "Your plan to make Elsa storm your shores in all her Snow Queen glory. It's not going to work."

Hans frowned, his swagger faltering slightly. "And why do you think that?"

"Because I know Kai and Liv. I know all of her family," Anna said, her confidence growing with each word she spoke. "And they wouldn't let her stand on her own. They'll stand by her side, just like I will. You may have the numbers, but we have Elsa."

He seemed to consider her words momentarily before he laughed once more. "You still don't see it, do you?" He stood from his chair and loomed over her. She stood her ground, raising her chin at him defiantly. "I know she's loved, even if I can't understand why. Her family will follow her to the ends of the earth. That's what I'm counting on," he sneered. She got a sinking feeling in her chest as his true nature finally showed. "You see, I don't simply want to antagonize the Snow Queen. I want to see her _break_. I want her to watch all her loved ones get struck down in defense of her. I want her to lose _everything_ before I make her make the ultimate sacrifice. Forsake her powers in order to save you."

Her mind reeled with his pure hatred. It made her sick to her stomach, but she swallowed it down and glared daggers at him. "You're a monster," she said. "Born to be evil, I'd say."

"Evil isn't born, Anna. It's made," he whispered. "It's made when the only person to ever care about you dies before her time. It's made when your baby sister is torn from this world before she gets the chance to live in it. It's made when your father can't stand to look at you - the thirteenth and final son he never wanted when he desired a daughter instead." His eyes began to glow and rippling heat waves rolled off his skin, scorching his clothing, as if that hatred within him was trying to burn its way out, a fiery abomination lurking underneath his handsome face. "Because of that precious Elsa of yours, Father's determination to sire the Empath was unceasing. He believes only _she_ will have the power in our family to destroy the Snow Queen," he seethed, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. The heat radiating off of him was staggering. "But I'll show him. I, the youngest of his many sons - the supposedly least impressive and most overlooked - will bring her to her knees."

And that's when it hit her - a manic sort of desperation rolling off of him. Anna knew then that he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. _It wasn't Lars I needed to fear,_ she thought desolately. She had completely underestimated Hans' capability, and the wildness that fueled his contrived desires. They all had.

"I won't let this happen," she said quietly, a determination settling within her. "I'll find a way to tell her to stay in Arendelle. You'll be forced to take the fight to her, and you'll lose your advantage."

The fire in his eyes dimmed slightly, but he only smiled. "I doubt there's anything you could think to say to keep her from coming after you. I saw how she reacted when I simply touched you after that lacrosse game. She'll come for you no matter the circumstances." A self-satisfied gleam shone in his eyes, and he pulled her phone out of his pocket, powering it on in the process. "But you know what? I'll let you give it a try. I've got nothing to lose." His smile was like antifreeze, sweet but venomous, as he handed over her phone.

It buzzed and beeped furiously when it finished booting up - missed calls alerts and text messages, notifications for numerous voicemails from just about everyone she'd left Arendelle to protect. She swiped it all away and pulled up Elsa in her contacts, but her finger hesitated over the call button. _He's right. There's nothing I can say to keep her from coming_ , she thought dolorously. _Elsa will stop at nothing. Not while our -_

She interrupted her own thoughts as the only possibility occurred to her, the one thing Anna could think of saying to keep Elsa at bay. Her hands shook as she tried to find the words, and she took several deep breaths to gather herself. Anna went to hit the call button several times, but each attempt faltered. She didn't think she could do it. It was far too cruel.

As if they were still connected despite being a sea apart, Anna's phone lit up with a goofy picture of her and Elsa snuggled with two fluffy white dogs as Elsa's dedicated ringtone, Taylor Swift's _Lover_ \- the song that was playing in the car the night that Elsa first kissed her, broke the quiet within the library. Like a phoenix's song, the ringtone gave Anna courage and she knew she had to do it. She only hoped that she had the strength to get through. Tapping on the answer button, Anna turned her back to Hans and brought the phone to her ear.

"Elsa?"

" _Oh! Anna, thank the spirits!_ "Elsa's voice came through quickly, and Anna could hear the flurry of activity going on in the background. " _Someone tell Iduna that I got a hold of her,"_ Elsa's muffled voice shouted as if she pulled her phone away from her mouth to talk to someone on her side of the line before she addressed Anna again. " _Anna, love. Are you there? Are you okay? Have they hurt you? I swear, if they did, I will make them pay -_ "

"I'm fine, Elsa," she said calmly and slowly, stalling so she could continue to gather as much courage as she could manage. "No one has laid a hand on me."

" _Okay, good. Listen, love. We're packing up the boats now. We should be able to set sail soon and then we're coming for you._ I'm _coming for you._ "

Anna hesitated for a split second. If she were honest, that _is_ what she wanted. She wanted to be rid of this place, to be home with her mother, and, most of all, to be with Elsa. Anna listened for a moment as the voices on the other side filled the break in conversation. It seemed that every Nature gifted individual residing on Arendelle was with Elsa, and their voices strengthened her resolve. _She's been protecting me since I moved to Arendelle. They all have, and, now, it's my turn to protect her,_ she determined resolutely. _I need to protect all of them._

"Don't," Anna barely managed to get out.

" _Hold on a sec, Liv…_ " Elsa said hastily, her voice slightly irritated. " _What was that, love?_ "

She took another breath and repeated herself with more authority. "Don't come here." Anna heard the bustle in the background quiet down a little, her voice probably carrying to all the superhuman ears near Elsa.

" _Of course we're going there, Anna,_ " Elsa said, confusion lacing her tone. " _We're coming to get you._ "

"Don't bother," she said, working overtime to keep her voice steady and clear as she felt the tears welling up. _Don't let her hear you cry._

" _Why would… What are you saying?_ "

"I…" Anna hesitated. She had always been a terrible liar; half truths were her only hope. Anna pictured a burnt orange colored door cracking open and determination flowed through her. "I don't want you to come here."

There was a long pause and silence fell on the other end of the line. Anna could perfectly picture Elsa in this moment - frozen mid-step while pacing, braid over one shoulder, fussing with her necklace as she anxiously deciphered Anna's words.

" _I don't understand,_ " Elsa whispered into the phone.

Anna swallowed, her throat tight with her stifled tears. She adopted the same detached tone that Elsa used to always speak in, back before she'd let Anna into her life. "Just stay where you are," a slow breath, her eyes fluttered shut, "...Snow Queen."

And just like that it was like her heart was shattered - frozen in an instant and smashed upon the floor, like a snow-globe knocked from its precarious perch upon a tall shelf. She felt a strange sensation run through her, almost as if she could still feel Elsa's heartache even with the entirety of the Southern Seas between them. It occurred to her now that she was unlikely to ever cross back over those waters and her heart broke for a second time within moments when she realized she'd never see her mother again.

" _So you've made your choice then?_ " She heard Elsa ask eventually, her raspy alto voice tight and barely audible.

"It was an easy choice," Anna whispered back. _To choose to protect you, to choose your life over my own._ "Goodbye, Elsa."

" _Anna, please don't -_ "

She hit the 'end' button and quickly powered off her phone. She couldn't let Elsa finish. Anna doubted she could follow through with it if she did, if she'd let Elsa plead. She knew she would give in quickly to take away Elsa's pain. Slowly, Anna turned back to look at Hans, that smug smirk painted solidly on that arrogant face. Without much thought, she snatched the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward her, connecting her fist solidly with his face. She heard the satisfying crack of his nose and pain shot through her hand, but she welcomed it. Anna deserved to be in pain.

"You have our family temper, I see," he said, wiping the blood from his face after she let go of his shirt. It was futile, the blood flowed freely and replaced what he managed to clean away. He looked at her once more, that distant fire still in his eyes, before he headed toward the exit.

"You won't get away with this," she said to his back.

He looked over his shoulder when he reached the door and gave her an oily, dangerous sort of grin. "Oh," he said tauntingly, "I already have."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know... it hurt just to write this. As always and forever - thank you for reading, and thanks to my BETA (my saint of a sister who will read a 10K word count chapter several times for mistakes). Stay safe, everyone! Until next week.


	30. The Epiphany

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

* * *

**14 May 2020**

' _I… I don't want you to come here.'_ She remembered her voice vividly, like the words were fresh from her mouth; like it hadn't been almost a week ago. _'Just stay where you are, Snow Queen.'_

"Elsa, would you like to join another group today?"

Elsa looked up, slightly startled. Her chemistry teacher was standing next to her, a concerned look on his face. She looked around and noticed that everyone was already starting on the experiment that was just passed out, but Elsa hadn't been paying attention… again.

"No, I can manage on my own, Mr. Mason," she said as she pulled out her bunsen burner and began setting it up. Her teacher continued on his sweep of the lab, and Elsa picked up the flint striker, hesitating as she held it at the ready above the apparatus.

' _Can I trust you to light the Bunsen burner today?'_

' _Ha ha. Just go get the proper glassware, ya stinker.'_

Elsa shook the memories from her head. _She's gone. She's gone and she's not coming back_ , she reminded herself, squeezing the striker and bringing her flame to life. _What's the next step?_ That's how Elsa had been living her life since Anna had run away to the Southern Isles - one step after the next. Wake up then get ready for school. One class then the one after. Lead the scouts then have dinner with her sisters. Sleep then wake. Repeat. She floated passively from one objective to another, the meaning behind any action lost to her completely. One step followed by another, one day into the next. This was how people healed… _right?_

She hardly registered when the bell rang, dismissing the student body for the day. Elsa kept her eyes glued to the floor as she walked the halls toward the student parking lot. She didn't bother to watch where she was going. The Ice Queen's presence started parting the sea of students once more without a magnetic ginger-haired sun pulling people in close; like a gravitational pull bringing closer all the orbiting satellites. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the bright colors upon the back of her eyelids would blind her to the visions, wipe her mind's eye clean of the mental images of _her._

The ride to Corona Manor was silent. Elsa could tell that her cousin was on edge the entire way because she fidgeted restlessly with her seatbelt, but Elsa didn't have the capacity right now to deal with that. Drop off Rapunzel then homework then dinner then bed. One foot in front of the other, walk the straight and narrow path until the past is far behind you.

' _I don't want to feel this way anymore!'_

' _My powers can't heal a broken heart, Elsa.'_

"Elsa!"

Elsa jumped slightly as her cousin's loud voice broke her thoughts. "Huh?" she gasped, looking sideways at her cousin. They were parked outside of the front door of Rapunzel's home, but her cousin hadn't made a move to get out yet. _How long have we been idling here?_

"I can't take this anymore!" Rapunzel said, turning in her chair to look at Elsa. "This is worse than before Anna moved to Arendelle. This is even worse than when you were trying to stay away from her! Before, you were just disengaged with the world outside of our family, but now…" Rapunzel paused and wiped a hand down her face in frustration before she finished her thought, her voice so broken and quiet. "Now, it's like you're hollow."

Elsa stared at her hands on the steering wheel. "I wish."

Rapunzel blinked, waiting for Elsa to finish her sentence. "What? What do you wish?" Rapunzel probed when she realized that she wasn't going to continue.

"I wish I _was_ hollow," Elsa said quietly, closing her eyes and hanging her head. "I would welcome it - the nothingness of being hollow. _This_ … this is much worse than nothing."

"Oh, snap out of it, Elsa!" Rapunzel shouted, startling Elsa once more with her volume. Elsa turned to finally look at her cousin, eyes wide. "We should just _go_ there! We need to get on a boat right now, sail to the Southern Isles, and take her back! Kicking and screaming if we must, but I doubt that she'd put up much of a fight."

"There's nothing to do, Raps," Elsa said, her voice void of any emotion. "She made her choice and withdrew from Kai's protection under the treaty. We can't just go there without being invited. Not without inciting some sort of repercussion."

"They came _here_ uninvited," Rapunzel said, her voice still unnecessarily loud and gesturing madly with her hands as much as she could within the confines of the car, "and all we got out of it was that island of walruses for Iduna. Sure; that cuts off their sneaky 'peaceful parley' loophole, but really? That's not justice! They came here and _kidnapped_ my best friend, and now I'm just supposed to let that lie?"

"They didn't kidnap her. She went willingly."

"Oh, please! You can't possibly believe she wasn't coerced in some way."

"There's no proof that -"

"Then _find_ the proof! Reach out through your bond and check on her."

Elsa shook her head and looked away from her cousin once more. "I can't."

"You can't or you wont?" Rapunzel said accusingly. Elsa didn't answer her and continued to stare out of the windshield. After a long moment, Rapunzel opened her door and slipped out. She heard Rapunzel huff loudly. "I can't believe you gave up on her that easily."

* * *

" _Goodbye, Elsa."_

" _Anna, please don't -"_

_The line went dead._ She hung up on me _, Elsa thought, and stared at her phone as the screen blurred, the tears forming in her eyes against her will._ This has to be some sort of trick. _Before the screen could timeout, she hit the call button under Anna's picture and brought the phone to her ear._

" _Hey!" came the bubbly voice over the phone. "You've reached Anna's phone. Leave me a message. 'Kay, thanks, bye!"_

_Straight to voicemail. The panic began to set in deeply now and Elsa picked up her pacing once more. She hit the call button again._

" _Hey! You've reached Anna's phone. Leave me a -"_

_Elsa hit the end button immediately followed by the call button._

" _Hey! You've reached Anna's pho-"_

* * *

Elsa pulled into the garage and turned off the car. With a huge sigh, she leaned forward, resting her head on her hands which were gripping tightly to the steering wheel at the twelve o'clock position. _Get a grip, Elsa_ , she chastised herself silently. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes as she thought about that night again, Rapunzel's ranting bringing everything she'd been trying to forget back to the surface. Elsa was so tired of crying, and she didn't want her sisters to see her like that again. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing and the rhythmic 'thump, thump' of her heart as she attempted to stop the tears before they could fall.

'Thump, thump.' _Stop coming back to this. You know it just hurts you._ 'Thump, thump.' _Rapunzel is wrong. There's nothing we can do._ 'Thump, thump.' _She made her choice. If this is what she wants, you have to let her go._ 'Thump, thump… Thump, thump… Thump, psshhh…'

Elsa jerked her head up with a frown. "Dammit," she heard Liv's voice say lamely, as if she was too sad to give her exclamation any feeling behind it. Elsa unbuckled herself and got out of the car, walking to the home gym at the back of the garage. She found her sister with her back to the doorway, standing next to one of the punching bags, the sand still steadily streaming out of a broken seam along the bottom of the bag.

"You're running low on those," Elsa said quietly, noticing that there were two other empty hooks around the room where punching bags usually hung. Liv turned around at the sound of Elsa's voice. She shrugged at her younger sister.

"I've been working through some things."

"I can see that," Elsa responded, averting her gaze as she was hit with a sudden feeling of déjà vu. She remembered having a similar conversation with Liv, but with the roles reversed. That conversation felt like so long ago - back before Elsa opened up the proverbial closed door and let _her_ in. They stood in silence for several minutes before Liv sighed and Elsa looked up to meet her sister's gaze.

"How long are we going to keep doing this, snowbug?" Liv asked, her voice quiet and tired.

"Doing what?"

" _This_ ," Liv said, waving a hand between the two of them generally. "How long are we going to just keep doing nothing?"

Elsa let out a breath. "Have you been talking to Raps?"

"No, but if she thinks we should be coming up with a plan to get her back, then I agree with Rapunzel," Liv said, perking up suddenly.

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why don't you two understand? She's with them now," Elsa said. She sighed once more and her hand fell to her side as she looked back at Liv. "Even Iduna accepted it and sent her enrollment paperwork to Lars. It's done, and A-" she hesitated for a moment, her mouth stuck in a rounded shape as she stopped herself from saying the name out loud. She shook her head and stared at the floor. "She isn't coming back." The quiet fell around them again, the only sound filling the space was the steadily slowing trickle of sand out of the broken punching bag.

"I just can't see it," Liv eventually said, her voice quiet once more. She sounded confused and emotional and sad, the desolate tone causing Elsa to look at her sister again. Liv took a deep breath and fixed Elsa with a hard stare. "I can't see Anna -" she cut herself off when Elsa visibly cringed at the name. Liv looked at her younger sister sympathetically, "I just can't see her doing this. It's not like her. She'd never do this to us… to her mother… to you. I just _know_ it."

"I used to think that too, but look at the facts, Liv," Elsa said imploringly. "Instead of coming to me, she left with Hans. Then after her mother finally got to speak to her, Iduna gave in quickly and let her stay because she _wants_ to be there. Don't you see? She _chose_ them!"

Liv blinked at her several times before she shook her head. "I thought you'd gotten past this, Els."

"Past what?" Elsa said with a frown.

"Seeing what you want to see because you can't handle the truth," Liv said, her voice was steady but low. Elsa stared at her, confused by her meaning. "I _know_ that she didn't betray us. I can feel in my gut. She loves us. She loves _you_ … but you think so little of yourself that you refuse to see it."

* * *

" _Hey! You've reached Anna's -"_

" _Argh!" Elsa threw her phone at the wall, but it was caught in time by Liv who gave her a disapproving look. Elsa didn't care and continued pacing, her breathing was coming in a haggard sort of pattern and ice trailed on the floor beneath her feet, growing thicker and glowing brightly with each step._ Think, Elsa, think, _her brain repeated incessantly. Everything was terribly out of her control and she was spiraling quickly, falling deeper into a whirlpool of turmoil with every passing moment._

" _Elsa… Elsa!" Kaira grabbed her shoulders and forced the teen to look at her. Everyone stood still around them, the path forward unclear at the moment. Elsa looked into her eldest sister's deep blue eyes and attempted to calm her breathing down. "It's going to be okay. We're going to get her back, one way or another. I promise you."_

" _You shouldn't go," a quiet voice came from the other end of the boathouse. Everyone turned in the direction of the door just as Iduna came into view from around the bow of one of their larger yachts. She stopped right in front of Elsa and Kaira, taking in the ice covering the ground and all the people crowding around the dock._

" _Iduna?" Arianna said, coming to stand next to her. "What do you mean?"_

_Iduna swallowed and took a deep breath. Her eyes were shiny as she looked at her closest friend on this new island home. "Anna called me from an unknown number," she said, pausing to look from Arianna to Kaira. "She wanted me to come stop you all. She said, 'Tell Kai that I renounce her guardianship under the treaty.'"_

_Kaira stood up straighter and looked at Iduna intently. "Those were her exact words?"_

_Iduna hesitated, looking Kaira in the eyes. A moment passed, and Kaira's eyes became suddenly glassy before Iduna nodded. "They were indeed. She doesn't want you all to go there to get her. She's going to stay in the Southern Isles."_

_Silence pervaded over them all at Iduna's words. They all understood the implication of Anna's declaration. If she'd said it in front of any of the Westergaards, it was as good as written in stone. Anna had forsaken her wardship under the Arens - they no longer had cause to travel to the Southern Isles to attempt their rescue mission._

" _It is done then," Kaira said, breaking the eerie silence that had overtaken them all._

" _What? You don't mean that, Kai!" Liv said, jumping down from the deck of the boat they had been preparing to set sail on. "We can't just leave her there!"_

" _We aren't," Kaira said, her voice cold and emotionless. It was a voice Elsa hadn't heard come from her sister in many years, and she felt all hope leave her as Kaira took her hand and began leading her away from the docks. "We're only doing what's necessary."_

_It was like someone had turned off the sun. Something inside of Elsa seemed to break, and, for the first time in her life, she thought she understood what the cold felt like._

* * *

Elsa trudged up the stairs, walking as silently as possible towards her bedroom. She was beginning to feel like a stranger in her own home. Everything reminded her of people she lost - her mother… her father… _her._ She'd taken to moving through the house like a ghost as if the memories couldn't torment her if she disturbed nothing around her. No matter how much she tried though, they always found her.

"I just don't know what to do, Erik," Kaira's voice carried to her as she neared the top of the second floor landing. "It gets harder every day to keep this resolve, to not sail over to your family's island and demand they return Anna."

Instead of heading up the next set of stairs, Elsa crept two doors down the hall toward her eldest sister's study. Erik had been out of touch since the incident had occurred, and she was curious about where he'd been. The door to Kaira's study was open just a crack, enough for Elsa to see that her sister was sitting behind her desk, chair swiveled slightly so that she could only see Kaira's profile. Her sister held her phone in front of her and Elsa could see that Erik and she were video chatting, but she couldn't tell where he was.

"I know, my love. I'm so sorry this has happened. I should have been there," Erik was saying. "I think Gerda was in on it. She had suggested taking her father out to my family's cabin near Gaustatoppen to butter him up more that same morning. That house is notoriously off the grid." His voice sounded frustrated, and Elsa could just see that he was frowning deeply. "I think she was told to keep me out of reach."

"She still resents me. In her mind, I will always be the girl that stole you away from her," Kaira said, animosity coating her voice. "But now she's messing with the happiness of my baby sisters. I will make her regret it."

"Don't do anything rash, please, Kai," Erik said. Elsa couldn't tell where he was. It was somewhere with white walls and dark wooden accents, possibly the cabin of a boat or a plane. "They won't let me speak to her, but I'll be home sooner than you think. I will find out what's really going on. There must be a reason for what she did."

There was a quiet pause in the conversation, her sister and Erik appeared to just be looking at each other. Not wanting to intrude on this moment, Elsa turned to leave, but stopped when she heard a soft sniffle. It froze Elsa on the spot and it felt like weight had been added to her heart. Kaira was always so strong. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen her big sister lose her composure or show so much emotion, let alone allow herself to cry.

"She's hurting so much and I don't know how to fix it," Kaira whispered toward Erik's face on her phone screen. "I encouraged her to put her heart out there, to take a little happiness for herself, and now? Now she's in pain and I can't just kiss it away like a scraped knee. I feel like I've failed her."

Elsa couldn't listen anymore. Her sister's guilt was unwarranted. Kaira only ever wanted what was best for her and it wasn't her fault that the situation was what it was. She tiptoed away, heading back down the stairs on light feet and headed toward the back door. Both of her older sisters were struggling right now because of her, because she couldn't deal with all the feelings that she was going through. She had to get away, to give them a little bit of space. Elsa slid open the glass door that led from the kitchen into the backyard. Almost immediately, the small and scrappy Olaf ran up to her and practically jumped into her arms. She gave him a quick scritch behind the ear before she set him down and he immediately took off into the house.

Marshmallow came up to her at a rather lethargic pace compared to the excitable Olaf. He ambled right up to her and she kneeled down to greet him. She gave him several good pats on the side while he sniffed her clothes. His head seemed to hang slightly when he didn't appear to find what he had been looking for. Elsa was pretty sure she knew what was troubling the large, loving dog. She reached under his chin and gave him a good scratch.

"Not today either, big guy," Elsa whispered to him. He gave her a little whine and she sighed. "Yeah. I know, Marsh. It does suck," she said. She gave him a little pat on his rear. "Now get inside. I'll be back in a bit." He trudged inside and she shut the sliding door behind him before taking off into the woods.

Following the familiar path, she found herself in the clearing between her property and her cousin's. She slowed her pace to a walk and found herself wandering over to the fire pit. It was unlit, the only time a fire burned in it was when Eugene was throwing a party. There were several logs situated randomly around it, and Elsa found herself sinking down onto one, placing her head into her hands. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but the sound of a snapping twig startled her. Elsa shot to her feet and held both hands out in front of her, ready to strike whatever was sneaking up on her with snow and ice.

"Whoa, sorry to scare you there, Els." Eugene came out of the tree line from the direction of his house, holding both of his hands up in surrender. He sent her a small smile and shrugged. Elsa lowered her hands and sat back down on her log. She watched him approach the fire pit and fiddle with a small lighter he produced from his pocket. Soon enough, a fire was burning steadily, a small one because he'd only restarted the firewood that had already been burned once before. He came over and sat on the other end of the same log. "I don't usually find you out here," he said after a few minutes of them watching the fire.

She didn't respond at first, and just continued to stare into the flames. Eugene didn't push her; he just sat there, keeping her company. Elsa observed him from the corner of her eye. He had grabbed a long stick and was poking at the logs, keeping the fire blazing by breaking up the coals. They kept threatening to die, but they rekindled stronger and stronger due to his gentle coaxing. The warmth was admittedly nice, and the oranges and reds were a comfort. _Odd_ , she thought, _I used to hate fires._

"I thought my sisters could use some space from me," Elsa said quietly. Eugene didn't respond. He sat complacently, continuing to prod the fire to remain alive. Elsa let out a sigh. "I'm sure that I am difficult to be around right now. I know everyone is trying their best to… move on. I just don't know how to." She paused and watched the embers that floated up toward the sky when one of the larger pieces of firewood cracked open, the glowing red wound brightly visible amongst the gathering ashes. "I'm afraid I'm a burden on my family," her voice was only a whisper. She wasn't sure why she said it, she hadn't even been completely aware that she felt that way, but once the words were out, she knew that they were true.

"Don't say that," Eugene said. His voice was so firm that she turned to look at him, her eyes shiny under the moonlight and in the glow of the fire which was now dying as Eugene had stopped tending to it in order to look Elsa square on even though she didn't take her eyes off of the blaze.

"But I am. Nature gave me this gift I can hardly handle, and as a result, everyone in my life has to help me carry it," she said. Her voice was surprisingly steady, but this was something she'd held in for so long, the words just flowed out of her. "My parents gave their lives for it. My sisters dedicate theirs to protect me because of it. Raps, Auntie Ari and Uncle Fred, even you… you all share my load one way or another." _It's no wonder_ she _wanted to escape to the Southern Isles before she got trapped with me too._

Elsa felt hands take both her shoulders and she was forced to turn to look at Eugene. He had a hard look in his eyes, and for the first time ever, Elsa felt like she was seeing the true him. The Eugene completely stripped of his Flynn alter ego, a genuine Eugene that Rapunzel always talks about, but Elsa had never actually witnessed.

"You are _not_ a burden, Elsa," he said, his voice sincere and his expression genuine. "Everyone has baggage that they need help carrying. That's what family is for, isn't it? To help hold us up when the strain gets to be too much, to take a little onto themselves. Sure, there are some people, like yourself, who are given so much more weight to bear, but you're also blessed with so many people willing to help you handle it.

"Trust me, I wish that I could help more, that I had more to offer. If given the chance, I'd jump in front of you and Raps, your sisters, her parents… We might not be the closest, Elsa, but I'd give my life to protect you if I needed to because I think you're worth it," he said, a small smirk pulling up the corner of his mouth. Then, quite suddenly, his look turned a little pensive and his eyes seemed to see past her. She watched with a little curiosity as he frowned slightly before his eyes became shiny, a wistful sort of look upon his face. "She once told me she wished she could return the favor and save your life for once," he said somberly. He let go of her shoulders and picked his stick back up, resuming his coaxing of the fire. "Maybe sometimes wishes do come true."

* * *

Elsa sat in the center of her bed and hugged her knees. The record player in the corner was playing something, but she couldn't really hear it. It was almost as if her ears were under several feet of water. She looked over at it and frowned. _I can't even remember what record I chose to play_ , she thought. She considered getting up and checking it, but she just sat there. It seemed like too much trouble to move.

_Knock. Knock. Knock-knock. Knock._

Elsa looked at the door and a smile spread across her face in response to the indicative knock. She quickly hopped off her bed and crossed the room, pulling the door open so quickly it almost came off its hinges. On the other side, a familiar red-head stood with wide eyes.

"Oh! You're still here," Anna said, her voice quiet. Elsa stepped aside to allow Anna to enter the room, but the ginger stood unmoving just beyond the threshold, staring hesitantly at her. Elsa's smile faded slightly when she noticed the shininess of Anna's bright teal eyes.

"What's wrong, love?" Elsa took Anna's hand and pulled her toward her, cupping a cheek with her hand. Anna leaned into it instinctively, a tear escaping and trailing down her freckled cheek. Elsa frowned and wiped the tear away with her thumb. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Anna shook her head slightly before she wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist and buried her face in Elsa's shoulder. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just... glad I can still find you here," Anna said in a whisper.

Elsa chuckled. "Well, this is my bedroom," she said playfully.

"Of course, and I promise it will always be your room," Anna replied, her voice muffled as she continued to talk into Elsa's shirt.

"I'm not sure about that," Elsa said, nudging Anna slightly so that she pulled away. Elsa gave her a suggestive smile. "I might want to get my own place one day." Anna didn't respond, she just stood there in Elsa's arms and looked up at her face for a long moment. Elsa opened her mouth to say something when the sound of the record player caught her attention again. She turned her head to look at it, chin tilted up slightly as she tried to figure out what was playing. _Curious_ , she thought, _how long has this been playing now?_ She was sure it was the same song that was playing… _How long ago?_

"Something the matter, Els?" Anna asked, breaking her thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, no," Elsa said, trying to rid her head of the musings. "I just… I feel like I'm forgetting something," she continued. She looked back at Anna and she got an alarming sense of dread and melancholy. "Perhaps something sad," she whispered, mostly to herself, though she wasn't sure why. Anna seemed to stare at her for a long time, a slight furrow to her brow before she took an audible intake of breath.

"You're _really_ here… aren't you?"

Elsa tilted her head slightly, confused by Anna's question. "Of course, I'm here. How else would I be holding you?" Anna sighed and slipped out of Elsa's grasp. "Where are you going?"

"I should leave," Anna said and she stepped toward the door. Elsa made to follow her, but Anna held up a hand to stop her. "No, you shouldn't wander around the castle."

Elsa frowned deeply at her. "I don't understand."

"I know," Anna said, her expression was sad and her voice sounded heavy. "I'm not sure if you'll remember this, but just in case… stay home, okay, Elsa? I… I don't want you to come here." Anna stepped out of the bedroom and shut the door behind her, but Elsa immediately tried to follow her. She ripped open the door, and -

* * *

"Wake up, snowbug. You're going to be late for school," Kaira said, gently shaking her shoulder.

"I don't want to go to school today," Elsa moaned and she threw her blankets over her head. She had been having an interesting dream, but the details were slipping from her like water through a sieve. Elsa tried to recall it, but all she could seem to conjure up was a feeling - the feeling of warmth.

"I understand, but you have to go to school," Kaira said, pulling the blankets down. When she found Elsa's eyes, she smiled. "Go get ready. I'll make you something to eat before you go."

Soon enough, Elsa, filled with fruit and oatmeal, was driving across town toward school. She averted her eyes, just like she had been each day over the last week, as she passed the little yellow house. She couldn't look at it, couldn't risk a glimpse of that small front porch, the one that had become one of her favorite spots in Arendelle but was now tainted with heartache. Elsa hadn't been able to look upon it since the very last time she stood on the bottom step of that porch.

" _Elsa?"_

_Elsa looked up to see Iduna coming out of the front door. This was the first school day since_ she _had left for the Southern Isles, and Elsa had, by habit, stopped at the yellow house to pick her up for school. It wasn't until she was climbing up the stairs that Elsa realized where she was and froze in place, unable to neither finish climbing the steps to knock on the door nor walk back to her car._

" _I'm sorry. I don't know how I got here," Elsa whispered. She finally found the ability to step down from the step, but she stopped once more on the walkway. Iduna looked at her with both concern and sadness. She locked the door and descended from the small porch to stand in front of Elsa._

" _I miss her too, dear," Iduna said. She reached up instinctively to push the bangs that had fallen into Elsa's eyes out of the way, a habit she'd developed because Anna's baby hairs were always in her eyes, but stopped herself before she could complete the action._

" _She's coming back… isn't she?" Elsa asked tentatively, afraid of the answer. She looked up and saw the tears welling in Iduna's eyes. "But what about school? What about…"_ you… me… us, _she thought, but couldn't find the right words to say._

_Iduna seemed to consider her answer for a long time. A determined sort of look flashed behind her eyes, and she reached out, pushing Elsa's bangs aside. "Family is very important to my daughter. She'd do anything for her family. Where it used to be only her and me, and eventually Go Go, it's now much larger. She made the choice she believes is right."_

Elsa pressed on the gas pedal slightly, driving past the house with a little more urgency. It felt particularly painful today, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly why. Elsa floated along like every other day since _she_ had been gone. Or, at least, she tried. Where most days over this last week or so had passed with determined disconnection and practiced apathy, today, everything seemed to remind Elsa of _her_. The smell of springtime in the breeze, the light reflecting off the windows, the incessant chatter of the other kids throughout lunch.

" _I… I don't want you to come here,_ " a familiar voice echoed in her head. It was the same sentence that had haunted her daily as of late… but today it felt different. Today, the voice sounded different. It was less harsh. It almost sounded… pleading. She couldn't quite find what it was that had changed, but it was there. Something faint on the edge of her memory, like a dream she couldn't quite remember.

"Something the matter, Els?"

"Hm? Oh, no," Elsa said, looking up from her lunch tray at Rapunzel. Her cousin was giving her a curious look, but Elsa was distracted again. This felt familiar somehow. "I just… I feel like I'm forgetting something." There it was again, like déjà vu, but she couldn't remember the original memory. It was like there was a song in her head, one that she could hear all the time, but each time she tried to actively listen to it, it faded into background noise. She shook her head and gave Rapunzel a shrug just as the bell rang, marking the end of lunch and warning the start of their homeroom period.

Just like during her first two classes of the day, everything during her fifth period seemed to remind Elsa of _her_. The smell of the strawberry lip gloss the girl behind her put on in the middle of class. The warmth from the sun pouring over her desk. The song playing out of someone's backpack… Elsa perked up, the ringtone stirring something within her; like her world was suddenly in focus after a long morning of wandering through a thick fog.

"Donne le moi, Mademoiselle Jess," their French teacher said as she held a hand out to a girl in the front row. The brunette reluctantly reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She tapped the screen before she handed it over, silencing Taylor Swift's voice as it carried across the room to Elsa's ears.

' _No, you shouldn't wander around the castle,'_ an unmistakable voice rang through her head, so crystal clear it was almost as if she was sitting right next to her. Elsa's breathing started coming to her in short bursts, like her body was forgetting that it still needed air to function. The memory was fleeting and she tried to chase it. She closed her eyes and tried to recapture the thoughts that were just beyond her grasp. It came to her in flashes - the repeating vinyl, the knock on the door, teal eyes pleading silently with her.

' _Stay home, okay, Elsa? I… I don't want you to come here._ '

_Wait, that isn't right,_ she thought with replayed their last conversation in her head, something she'd done countless times over the week. Words she'd thought about a lot in _her_ absence, but, like at lunch, they felt… different somehow. Yesterday, the remembered phrase made her feel isolated, a lonely island amid a bustling sea of people just beyond her reach. Today, however, it gave her… hope. _But what had changed about it?_

"That's not what she said."

"Qu'avez-vous dit, Mademoiselle Elsa?"

"Huh?" Elsa snapped out of her thoughts. She looked up to find her teacher looking at her, and she realized she must have said that out loud. "Non, rien. Je suis désolé, Madame Dubois."

Their French teacher continued her lesson, and Elsa immediately tuned it out again. Elsa was now certain that _she_ hadn't said, ' _Stay home, okay, Elsa?_ ' She was absolutely sure that the words were, ' _Just stay where you are, Snow Queen._ ' The words, the moniker - it was too painful to forget. So why was she remembering it differently now? And why did this memory feel so fresh suddenly? She closed her eyes and grasped at the details she could remember - sitting on her bed… _her_ standing in the doorway… a hug… a tear…

' _I… I don't want you to come here._ '

And then - like the first rays of morning light on the horizon - the realization dawned her. The difference between her memory yesterday and how it made her feel today. Hidden cleverly within the falter of words, inside the slightest of hesitations, the answer had been there all along. Slipped between the dots of an ellipses was the most subtle of half-truths - the smallest wave of determination had flowed within their bond. Elsa didn't think much of it at the time, there were much more important things on her mind, but now…

Elsa's eyes shot open. _Why would she pretend to choose the Westergaards over us?_ She knew the answer immediately, even before the thought was finished, and she quickly stood up with a gasp. _How could I have been so blind?_ Before she knew it, her bag was slung over her shoulder and she made her way to the door.

"Le cours n'est pas encore terminé," her teacher's voice stopped her halfway to the door.

_Damn, of course_. Elsa turned to her teacher and said, "Je ne me sens pas bien," while she tried her best to seem sick, or at least give her teacher a pathetic sort of look. It must have worked because, after a moment's pause, her teacher gave her a nod, and Elsa left, quickly darting through the building toward her car once she was out of view of her classroom. Deciding she'd get to the docks faster on foot - you don't have to obey traffic laws when running - she tossed her bag in the backseat of her car, and took off on foot, not bothering to make sure no one was looking. There was no time for that - she had to get to _her_.

No. Not _her_. Anna. Anna, Anna, Anna. "I need to get to Anna," she said in the wind. Since that terrible day, Elsa hadn't even been able to _think_ the name, let alone say it out loud. It was gratifying; like flexing a muscle you'd forgotten to use in a long time. She made it to her family's personal boathouse within minutes. Elsa immediately went over to her own sailboat and started preparing it to take off when she heard someone coming down the dock. She turned toward the approaching footsteps and saw a boy jogging her way down the dock. "Kristoff? What are you doing here?"

"I was using a hall pass to bring Sven a snack when I saw you run off."

Elsa frowned at him. "And you just followed me? Why?"

"You kind of had a look. I was worried that you were on your way to do something rash," he responded. His eyes flickered to the rope in her hands. "So where are you going?"

She eyed him carefully. "I'm going after Anna."

He sighed heavily. "I figured. She sent me a text this morning." Jealousy and anger jolted through Elsa and it must have shown because he held up his hands defensively. "She said she was afraid you might do something like this and to stop you if I could. I asked her how she could possibly know, but she never answered. Seems like she was right though."

That was more confirmation that her suspicions were right. Every part of her was sure now that Anna had given her half-truths, said all the right things to keep her away. She was sacrificing herself to keep Elsa safe. "I'm going to go get her back. I won't let you stop me."

"I'm not here to stop you."

"But you just said that -'' Elsa cut herself off and blinked several times. _There's no time for this._ She sighed. "Then what are you doing here?'

"I'm coming with you," he answered simply. She looked at him incredulously as he glanced around the boathouse. "Look, I've been waiting for you to finally come to your senses. Anna belongs here. So what's the plan?" He looked at her expectantly, but she still hadn't recovered from her surprise over the fact that he had simply decided to come along with her without much thought. "You do have a plan, right?"

"I… well, no. Not really. All I could think about is getting there as soon as possible," she said.

Kristoff pulled out his phone. "Okay, I'll call Raps and -"

"No! Do _not_ call my cousin," she said quickly, her voice slightly panicked. He raised his eyebrows at her and she huffed. "I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me," she admitted. "Not again." She watched him glance between his phone and her several times, as if he was considering dialing Rapunzel anyway. Elsa grew agitated; she was in a hurry. "Look, we're wasting time. She's been there for a week, and I now suspect that she's there against her will. Who knows what they've done to her? So I'm going to take her back by force if I have to."

He nodded eagerly. "Okay. Sounds like a plan to me," he said and hopped onto her boat. She stared at him questioningly as he took a seat. He rolled his eyes. "You encased our entire island, and the neighboring ones for that matter, in a blizzard when we were nine… well I was nine, you were eight… If I had any money, I'd put it all on you, Ice Queen," he said. He stood up and unlooped the tether from the dock. "So let's go get your girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's a little later than usual. I wasn't so confident in the installment and held off while I tried to fix it. Eh...
> 
> Thanks for reading, anyway! Thanks to my BETA, as usual. Now for some good/bad news - good: I think this is going to go a little past 35 chapters so you'll get more than I first promised; bad: I've hit a bit of writers block (I know what's going to happen, it's the getting it out of my head and onto (digital) paper that's the problem). My BETA has helped me organize my thoughts a bit, so I'm pretty confident I'll have an update next week... but after that, we shall see. I'm sorry in advance if the updates come a little slower into the new year.
> 
> Anyway - I hope you understand. HAPPY HOLIDAYS and here's to getting out of 2020 as best we can :)


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